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 film also won the best cinematography prize for Jean Dakar, who has previously worked on the feature The Walk and the television series Radius.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 6 Dec. 2025
Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography prize.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 3 Dec. 2025
The directing, the acting, the cinematography, the setting, the stakes, the emotion — all of it was incredible.
—Mason Thames, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
His characters are often beyond belligerent, and the cinematography can resemble horror films or true-crime dramas.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 28 Nov. 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.
Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 6 Dec. 2025
Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography prize.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 3 Dec. 2025
The directing, the acting, the cinematography, the setting, the stakes, the emotion — all of it was incredible.
—Mason Thames, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
His characters are often beyond belligerent, and the cinematography can resemble horror films or true-crime dramas.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 28 Nov. 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 13 Dec. 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