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
2
: the treasury department of the papal curia
see also:
Examples of camera in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His emotional reaction to the announcement of his name was caught on camera during the draft telecast.
—
Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
On most professional shoots a phone camera would be supplemented with lenses, stabilizers, and ancillary gear—or, in the case of Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later (2025), up to twenty iPhones could be marshaled into service at once.
—Dennis Lim, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Because the cameras were vertical, actors huddled closer together, and the crew paid extra attention to upper-body details like hair and makeup.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Tracy Morgan throws a double peace sign for the camera at the NBCUniversal Emmy Luncheon on April 22 in Beverly Hills, California.
—Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for camera
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Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
On most professional shoots a phone camera would be supplemented with lenses, stabilizers, and ancillary gear—or, in the case of Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later (2025), up to twenty iPhones could be marshaled into service at once.
—Dennis Lim, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Because the cameras were vertical, actors huddled closer together, and the crew paid extra attention to upper-body details like hair and makeup.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Tracy Morgan throws a double peace sign for the camera at the NBCUniversal Emmy Luncheon on April 22 in Beverly Hills, California.
—Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for camera
Cite this Entry
“Camera.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/camera. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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