photographic

adjective

pho·​to·​graph·​ic ˌfō-tə-ˈgra-fik 

1

: relating to, obtained by, or used in photography

2

: representing nature and human beings with the exactness of a photograph

3

: capable of retaining vivid impressions

a photographic memory

photographically

ˌfō-tə-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of photographic in a Sentence

photographic images of the galaxy

Recent Examples on the Web

There are improvements to photographic styles, offering texture and grain control. — Jay Peters, The Verge, 9 Sep. 2026

For the artist Valdez — whose photographic work is displayed on the gallery’s red wall — being a Chicana photographer in the 1970s and 1980s presented challenges within the city’s fast-growing immigrant community. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

To create the image, the photographer would apply the photographic emulsion to a thin sheet of iron coated with a dark lacquer or enamel. — Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026

The museum also features photographic portraits of modern workers ranging from a firefighter and a trucker to a dairy farmer, showing hard hats, protective gloves and, in the case of a welder, a face shield with eye protection. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing photographic

• photographic memory

Rhymes for photographic

• autographic
• biographic
• calligraphic
• cartographic
• cryptographic
• demographic
• epigraphic
• ethnographic
• geographic
• holographic
• hydrographic
• lithographic

Kids Definition

photographic

adjective

pho·​to·​graph·​ic ˌfōt-ə-ˈgraf-ik 

1

: relating to, obtained by, or used in photography

photographic supplies

2

: capable of remembering details exactly

a photographic memory

photographically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb