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 series is written by Bellocchio, Stefano Bises, Giordana Mari, and Peppe Fiore, with cinematography by Francesco Di Giacomo.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
The production features costume work by Norse Dragon Armoury, an original score by composer Siddhartha Barnhoorn and cinematography by Morgan Andrews.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Jan. 2026
Connor Broke the Fourth Wall Storrie grilled The Cut’s red carpet team on their camera specs and took the cinematography into his own hands.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Directed by Philip Barantini, the brilliant slow-burn investigative procedural — about the violent death of a 13-year-old girl in an English suburb — gained a global reputation for its moving acting performances and extraordinary approach to one-shot cinematography.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cinematography
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Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
The production features costume work by Norse Dragon Armoury, an original score by composer Siddhartha Barnhoorn and cinematography by Morgan Andrews.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Jan. 2026
Connor Broke the Fourth Wall Storrie grilled The Cut’s red carpet team on their camera specs and took the cinematography into his own hands.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Directed by Philip Barantini, the brilliant slow-burn investigative procedural — about the violent death of a 13-year-old girl in an English suburb — gained a global reputation for its moving acting performances and extraordinary approach to one-shot cinematography.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cinematography
Cite this Entry
“Cinematography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinematography. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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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