cinematography
noun
cin·e·ma·tog·ra·phy
ˌsi-nə-mə-ˈtä-grə-fē 
: the art or science of photography in a visual medium (as for movies, television, or video games)
black-and-white cinematography
But most of the cinematography is pedestrian. Many scenes are ridiculously overlit—no doubt because Technicolor was still a glorious new gimmick in 1939.—
Philip Martin
Philip Martin… this film, directed by Cameron Crowe, has better acting, more depth, and also boasts gorgeous cinematography.—Nancy Gordon
Nancy GordonExamples of cinematography in a Sentence
The film's cinematography is breathtaking.
Who did the cinematography for this film?
Recent Examples on the Web
The Technology That Makes the Story Possible If the training pushes the limits of aviation, the docuseries pushes the limits of cinematography.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Vikas Sivaraman’s cinematography tries its best to eschew the overexposed, airbrushed look of its contemporaries.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2025
And the appropriately off-kilter, kinetic cinematography from Jo Willems and the unsettling decades-blending production design from Nicolas Lepage contribute mightily as well.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Held one week before the main Emmys broadcast, the two-day Creative Arts ceremony celebrates achievements in more than 95 categories that include sound, cinematography, and casting.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cinematography
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Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Vikas Sivaraman’s cinematography tries its best to eschew the overexposed, airbrushed look of its contemporaries.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2025
And the appropriately off-kilter, kinetic cinematography from Jo Willems and the unsettling decades-blending production design from Nicolas Lepage contribute mightily as well.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Held one week before the main Emmys broadcast, the two-day Creative Arts ceremony celebrates achievements in more than 95 categories that include sound, cinematography, and casting.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cinematography
Cite this Entry
“Cinematography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinematography. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cinematography
noun
cin·e·ma·tog·ra·phy
ˌsin-ə-mə-ˈtäg-rə-fē
: the art or science of motion-picture photography
cinematographer
noun
-fər
Medical Definition
cinematography
noun
cin·e·ma·tog·ra·phy
ˌsin-ə-mə-ˈtäg-rə-fē
plural cinematographies
: the art or science of motion-picture photography
X-ray fluoroscopic cinematography
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