stock photo

noun

plural stock photos

: a photographic image of a generic subject (such as a person, object, or location) that is kept for later use

Prevailing wisdom among dealers is that online shoppers prefer real photos of new vehicles in inventory over stock photos from the manufacturer and others.

—David Barkholz

[Suzanne] Rodriguez has more than a decade of experience in digital advertising and professional photography. Stock photos often can be found on the websites of small businesses, but custom photos provide a more accurate characterization of the firm, she said.

—Kevin Oklobzija

When the National Enquirer needed a close-up photo of a snail for one of its … stories, it didn't send a phalanx of photographers out into the garden with cameras in hand. Instead, it called on a small stock photo service in Chatham that specializes in pictures of animals and nature …

—Michael Farrell

Examples of stock photo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Your commitment to innovation is clear from the stock photos of a diverse group of people deeply engaged in what appears to be a breakthrough moment involving a laptop and some very enthusiastic pointing. —Greg Mania, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2025

Main image, an In-N-Out Burger logo is seen in a stock photo taken in Frisco, Texas, on March 18, 2025. —Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025

Create a banner that communicates your value visually Your banner sits at the top of your profile, yet many people waste it on stock photos or leave the default blue background. —Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025

For example, in 2023, imaging giant Adobe took an unusual step by training its Firefly AI models solely on licensed stock photos and public domain works, demonstrating that alternative approaches are possible. —ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stock photo

• doto
• koto
• moto
• roto
• toto
• hashimoto
• telephoto