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photograph

1 of 2

noun

pho·​to·​graph ˈfō-tə-ˌgraf How to pronounce photograph (audio)
: a picture or likeness obtained by photography

photograph

2 of 2

verb

photographed; photographing; photographs

transitive verb

: to take a photograph of

intransitive verb

1
: to take a photograph
2
: to appear as an image in a photograph
an actress who photographs well

Examples of photograph in a Sentence

Noun I always take a lot of photographs when I travel. the old photograph was faded but still clear enough to make out Verb He photographed the women sitting on the bench. She was photographed in the studio.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
There was no name—only a photograph in a plastic folder. Ben Taub, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025 But Airtasker apparently does not screen profile photographs. Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
Verb
To overcome this, Castillo needed to photograph the foreground and background separately, ensuring the telescope remained crisp while the star trails formed perfect arcs behind it. Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 25 Nov. 2025 In flybys, the spacecraft extensively photographed Jupiter in 1979 and Saturn in 1980. George Petras, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for photograph

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1839, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1839, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of photograph was in 1839

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Photograph.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/photograph. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

photograph

1 of 2 noun
pho·​to·​graph ˈfōt-ə-ˌgraf How to pronounce photograph (audio)
: a picture obtained by photography

photograph

2 of 2 verb
1
: to take a photograph of
2
: to take photographs
3
: to be photographed
photographer
fə-ˈtäg-rə-fər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on photograph

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