photogenic

adjective

pho·​to·​ge·​nic ˌfō-tə-ˈje-nik  -ˈjē- 

1

: produced or precipitated by light

photogenic dermatitis

2

: producing or generating light : phosphorescent

photogenic bacteria

3

: suitable for being photographed especially because of visual appeal

a photogenic smile

photogenically

ˌfō-tə-ˈje-ni-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈjē-

adverb

Examples of photogenic in a Sentence

She's a very photogenic child.

This is the city's most photogenic park.

Recent Examples on the Web

Take a break from the screens and discover a family game that celebrates photogenic animals caught on camera. —Pamela Brill, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025

Forte_Forte staged a fancy presentation recreating a Parisian boudoir, replete with towers of Champagne cups and highly photogenic sweet treats. —Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025

The press helped to turn public opinion against the war, not because the press was antiwar or even had a politics but because war is hell, and hell is photogenic. —Louis Menand, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025

Hidden in the heart of the forest are the remains of the Convent of Santa Cruz and a grand, extremely photogenic 1907 royal palace (now the Palace Hotel Bussaco). —Anna Mazurek, AFAR Media, 26 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for photogenic

• allergenic
• androgenic
• antigenic
• authigenic
• autogenic
• biogenic
• bronchogenic
• chromogenic
• cryogenic
• echogenic
• estrogenic
• isogenic

Kids Definition

photogenic

adjective

pho·​to·​ge·​nic ˌfōt-ə-ˈjen-ik  -ˈjēn- 

: suitable for being photographed : likely to photograph well

a photogenic child

photogenically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

photogenic

adjective

pho·​to·​gen·​ic ˌfōt-ə-ˈjen-ik 

1

: produced or precipitated by light

photogenic epilepsy

photogenic dermatitis

2

: producing or generating light : phosphorescent

photogenic bacteria