cinematography

noun

: the art or science of photography in a visual medium (as for movies, television, or video games)
black-and-white cinematography
But most of the cinematography is pedestrian. Many scenes are ridiculously overlit—no doubt because Technicolor was still a glorious new gimmick in 1939.Philip Martin
… this film, directed by Cameron Crowe, has better acting, more depth, and also boasts gorgeous cinematography.Nancy Gordon

Examples of cinematography in a Sentence

The film's cinematography is breathtaking. Who did the cinematography for this film?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Production is due to get underway shortly on the six-part epic drama, which is created and directed by French filmmaking and cinematography duo Damien Steck (DoP on Tribeca entry Cherry) and Julien Petit (Cherry). Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026 Combining cartooning with live-action cinematography in the same frame takes technical wizardry, but the effort typically pays off. James Grebey, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 The film features cinematography by Arlene Muller and editing by Rodrigo Ramos Estrada. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026 Durald Arkapaw made Oscar history by becoming the first woman to win in the best cinematography category. Isabelle Farina, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cinematography

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cinematography was in 1896

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cinematography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinematography. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

cinematography

noun
: the art or science of motion-picture photography
cinematographer
-fər
noun

Medical Definition

cinematography

noun
plural cinematographies
: the art or science of motion-picture photography
X-ray fluoroscopic cinematography

More from Merriam-Webster on cinematography

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!