imaging

1 of 2

noun

im·​ag·​ing ˈi-mi-jiŋ 

: the action or process of using specialized techniques (such as ultrasound, tomography, or radiography) to produce an image of something that is not visible to the naked eye (such as internal bodily organs or the Earth's subsurface)

Brain imaging of patients with vascular dementia typically show small strokes or poor blood supply deep in the brain, at the natural terminal … of the blood vessel.

—Renee Meyer

Buried under sand, the layout of a city some 4,000 years old has been revealed before anyone lifted a trowel. To build the map of [the city], … archaeologists used geomagnetic imaging, which measures Earth's magnetic force.

—National Geographic

—often used before another noun

imaging equipment

a thermal imaging camera

A computed tomography scan … is an imaging test that lets doctors see inside a person's body.

—NBCNews.com

see also magnetic resonance imaging

imaging

2 of 2

present participle of image

Examples of imaging in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In healthcare, for example, AI scribing (including Nabla’s), clinician support (such as OpenEvidence) and discovering patterns in imaging, such as X-rays, are good uses for existing LLM technology, LeBrun said. —Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

The approach involves a series of three shots given over roughly 60 days, with the allergen injected directly into a lymph node (rather than into the arm) using imaging guidance, as NBC5 reported in 2021. —Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 2026

Last December, Equinox launched its next phase of partnership with Function Health, the health platform offering access to more than 60 advanced lab tests (think hormones and metabolic markers) and imaging fueled by Artificial Intelligence. —Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026

In two waves conducted in 2022 and, again, in 2025, the researchers used various archaeological and computerized imaging techniques to resurface the lost messages. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

image entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1921, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing imaging

• functional magnetic resonance imaging
• magnetic resonance imaging

Rhymes for imaging

• neuroimaging

Medical Definition

imaging

noun

: the action or process of using specialized techniques (such as ultrasound, tomography, or radiography) to produce an image especially of an internal body part or organ

advances in clinical diagnostic imaging

Brain imaging has identified numerous regions of altered structure or activity in the brain during major depression, suggesting disordered neurocircuitry in a variety of structures …

—J. John Mann, The New England Journal of Medicine

—often used before another noun

imaging modalities

The advent of rapid imaging techniques has made magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) an attractive technology in the evaluation of pulmonary vascular disorders.

—Eric G. Honig et al., Scientific American Medical Bulletin

see also magnetic resonance imaging