telephoto

1 of 3

adjective

tele·​pho·​to ˌte-lə-ˈfō-(ˌ)tō 

: being a camera lens system designed to give a large image of a distant object

also : relating to or being photography in which a telephoto lens is used

telephoto

2 of 3

noun

plural telephotos

1

: a telephoto lens

2

: a photograph taken with a camera having a telephoto lens

Telephoto

3 of 3

trademark

—used for an apparatus for transmitting photographs electrically or for a photograph so transmitted

Examples of telephoto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

So far, the lack of a telephoto camera and the reduced number of battery cycles the silicon-carbon cell can handle are acceptable trade-offs. — Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

The photo was taken with a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens, and shows the anole giving her the side eye at being spied on. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 10 Aug. 2026

Why not also try to capture the moon using a DSLR camera and a telephoto lens in the weeks that follow and track how the shifting shadows alter its appearance? — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Telephoto The phone’s 50MP telephoto camera offers just 2x optical zoom. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1893, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing telephoto

• telephoto lens

Rhymes for telephoto

• hashimoto
• doto
• koto
• moto
• roto
• toto

Kids Definition

telephoto

adjective

tele·​pho·​to

ˌtel-ə-ˈfōt-ō

: being a camera lens designed to give a large image of a distant object