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
Anders’ own cinematography and editing (Drew Levin shot the opening New York sequences) are astute and their willingness to mix up tones and tactics is echoed in Austin Weber’s original score and music supervisor Livy Rodriguez-Behar’s diverse selection of preexisting tracks.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 June 2025
Materialists takes the barest skin of the rom-com genre’s trappings — crisp interiors, airy cinematography, warm and bright color grading, aspirational jobs, the click of heels on pavement (the auditory signal of a determined girl boss) — and uses them for a story of little feeling.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 25 June 2025
The cinematography of the film, for which Diversion is handling sales, comes from Mathieu Giombini, who has worked with such directors as Francois Ozon, Michel Piccoli, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, and Manoel de Oliveira.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2025
The film's sweeping cinematography of the bucolic English countryside and the romantic chemistry between Knightley and Matthew McFadyen's Mr. Darcy continue to earn the film adaptation of the 1813 novel of the same name a lasting legacy.
—Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cinematography
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 June 2025
Materialists takes the barest skin of the rom-com genre’s trappings — crisp interiors, airy cinematography, warm and bright color grading, aspirational jobs, the click of heels on pavement (the auditory signal of a determined girl boss) — and uses them for a story of little feeling.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 25 June 2025
The cinematography of the film, for which Diversion is handling sales, comes from Mathieu Giombini, who has worked with such directors as Francois Ozon, Michel Piccoli, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, and Manoel de Oliveira.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2025
The film's sweeping cinematography of the bucolic English countryside and the romantic chemistry between Knightley and Matthew McFadyen's Mr. Darcy continue to earn the film adaptation of the 1813 novel of the same name a lasting legacy.
—Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 13 June 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 3 Jul. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share