camera

noun

cam·​era ˈkam-rə 

ˈka-mə-rə

1

a

: a device that consists of a lightproof chamber with an aperture fitted with a lens and a shutter through which the image of an object is projected onto a surface for recording (as on a photosensitive film or an electronic sensor) or for translation into electrical impulses (as for television broadcast)

b

: camera obscura

2

: the treasury department of the papal curia

Phrases

off camera

1

: while not being filmed by a television or movie camera

he's a different person off camera

2

: outside the scope of a television or movie camera

sounds of gunfire taking place off camera

on camera

1

: before a live television camera

go on camera

also : while being filmed by a television or movie camera

looked relaxed on camera

2

: within the scope of a television or movie camera

you can hear a dog but he never appears on camera

Examples of camera in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The lodge has surveillance cameras, but police have yet to receive or review that footage as the lodge works to compile all video before handing it over. —Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025

On Friday, a suspect in the Louvre robbery was handed preliminary charges of theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy, the Paris prosecutor said Friday, meaning all four alleged members of the team caught on camera stealing the jewels are in custody. —Sylvie Corbet, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025

Infiniti immersed herself in a rigorous martial arts training program before embarking on the sprawling shoot, which saw the cast and crew cover a massive amount of ground in California and Texas (with VistaVision cameras in tow, of course) over the course of six months. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 29 Nov. 2025

Check out our other guides to the best telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, lego and much more. —Harry Bennett, Space.com, 29 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, room — more at chamber

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing camera

• body camera
• box camera
• camera lucida
• camera obscura
• camera person
• camera work
• candid camera
• catch (something) on camera
• dashboard camera
• digital camera
• doorbell camera
• gamma camera
• in camera
• Schmidt camera
• security camera
• streak camera
• video camera

Kids Definition

camera

noun

cam·​era ˈkam-(ə-)rə 

1

: a judge's private office

hearings held in camera

2

: a lightproof box fitted with a lens through which the image of an object is projected onto a surface that is sensitive to light for recording (as on film) or for converting into electrical signals (as for a live television broadcast)

Etymology

from Latin camera "room, chamber"; sense 2 from the scientific Latin phrase camera obscura, literally, "dark chamber" — related to chamber