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 off camera, on camera
Examples of camera in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When Obama delivered his election-night victory speech in Chicago’s Grant Park in 2008 to a massive crowd of cheering onlookers, the cameras caught Jackson looking on, tears in his eyes.
—
John Blake, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
So Cote smiled when a fellow tourist with a fancy camera approached.
—Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Most pet cameras will require a stable wi-fi network, as well as password protected access to the app.
—Trisha Easto, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
The mural by Tijuana artist Gerardo Orozco, better known as Mode Orozco, shows Martínez, a photojournalist known for covering the police beat, holding his camera, and veteran reporter Maldonado, who worked for years in local television.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for camera
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John Blake, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
So Cote smiled when a fellow tourist with a fancy camera approached.
—Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Most pet cameras will require a stable wi-fi network, as well as password protected access to the app.
—Trisha Easto, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
The mural by Tijuana artist Gerardo Orozco, better known as Mode Orozco, shows Martínez, a photojournalist known for covering the police beat, holding his camera, and veteran reporter Maldonado, who worked for years in local television.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 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 17 Feb. 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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