aspect ratio

noun

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

Definition of aspect ratio

: a ratio of one dimension to another: such as

a : the ratio of span to mean chord of an airfoil

b : the ratio of the width of a television or motion-picture image to its height

See aspect ratio defined for English-language learners

See aspect ratio defined for kids

Recent Examples of aspect ratio from the Web

Then there’s the Moto G6 Plus, which is supposed to have a 5.93-inch display, with the same 18:9 aspect ratio and slightly greater than 1080p resolution.

— jacob kastrenakes, The Verge, "The Moto G6 series might be released in May," 3 Apr. 2018
Xiaomi has changed the aspect ratio from 17:9 to 18:9, just like the flagship devices from LG and Samsung.

— ron amadeo, Ars Technica, "Xiaomi Mi A1 review—A $220 iPhone clone with stock Android? Sign us up," 26 Mar. 2018
First announced in May 2017, these variants pack largely similar underlying specs to the 4K monitors, but swap in a massive 35-inch, curved screen with a 3440x1440 resolution and a 21:9 aspect ratio.

— brad chacos, PCWorld, "Nvidia's delayed 4K, 144Hz G-Sync HDR displays are expected to launch in April," 22 Mar. 2018
No matter which configuration you land on, each Pro has a 12.3-inch high-res touchscreen with a document-friendly 3:2 aspect ratio.

— wired staff, WIRED, "Which Microsoft Surface Should You Buy?," 14 Mar. 2018
Each screen had its own projector that back-projected the film onto the screen in color and in the film’s original aspect ratio.

— Smithsonian, "Smell-O-Vision, Astrocolor and Other Film Industry Inventions That Proved To Be Flops," 28 Feb. 2018
Others are disquieting bit players given promine through tight closeups in the film's boxy aspect ratio, who say nary a word, their marked and haggard faces saying more than any dialogue ever could.

— boyd van hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Weak Ones' ('Los debiles'): Film Review | Berlin 2018," 21 Feb. 2018
The 3:2 aspect ratio is great for browsing the web and reading, and the 3240 x 2160 resolution assures you near 4K quality picture.

— SI.com, "Microsoft Surface Book 2 review," 13 Feb. 2018
The Burj Khalifa's aspect ratio is close to 9:1; Kingdom Tower's will exceed 10:1.

— adam hadhazy, Popular Mechanics, "Taller: How Future Skyscrapers Will Beat the Burj Khalifa," 16 May 2012

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aspect ratio.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of aspect ratio

1907

in the meaning defined above

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ASPECT RATIO Defined for English Language Learners

aspect ratio

noun

Definition of aspect ratio for English Language Learners

: a number that compares the width and height of a movie or television picture

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aspect ratio

Definition of aspect ratio

Recent Examples of aspect ratio from the Web

First Known Use of aspect ratio

ASPECT RATIO Defined for English Language Learners

aspect ratio

Definition of aspect ratio for English Language Learners

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aspect ratio

Definition of aspect ratio

Recent Examples of aspect ratio from the Web

First Known Use of aspect ratio

ASPECT RATIO Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of aspect ratio for English Language Learners

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