cartography

noun

car·​tog·​ra·​phy kär-ˈtä-grə-fē 

: the science or art of making maps

cartographic

ˌkär-tə-ˈgra-fik 

adjective

or less commonly cartographical

ˌkär-tə-ˈgra-fi-kəl 

cartographically

ˌkär-tə-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of cartography in a Sentence

She studied cartography in college.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the concept has been around far, far longer, as evident in the practice of cartography or mapmaking since ancient times. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Sep. 2026

Chinese papermaking, printing, gunpowder, and the magnetic compass became more widely known in western Asia and Europe, while advances in Islamic astronomy, mathematics, medicine, and cartography spread eastward. — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026

Tracing this inner cartography is a challenge—the vagus nerve is made up of some 200,000 nerve fibers. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2026

This month’s primary election underscored how creative political cartography can tilt outcomes. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

French cartographie, from carte card, map + -graphie -graphy — more at card entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1847, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cartography

• arthrography
• biography
• cosmography
• cryptography
• demography
• discography
• echography
• ethnography
• filmography
• geography
• hydrography
• lithography

Kids Definition

cartography

noun

car·​tog·​ra·​phy kär-ˈtäg-rə-fē 

: the making of maps

cartographic

ˌkärt-ə-ˈgraf-ik 

adjective