tele·pho·to
ˌte-lə-ˈfō-(ˌ)tō 
: being a camera lens system designed to give a large image of a distant object
also
: relating to or being photography in which a telephoto lens is used
plural telephotos
1
: a telephoto lens
2
: a photograph taken with a camera having a telephoto lens
—used for an apparatus for transmitting photographs electrically or for a photograph so transmitted
Examples of telephoto in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026
This external lens mounts to the 3x telephoto camera module and uses a 16-element optical design for the equivalent of 300-mm reach, enabling up to 13x optical zoom and improved results at 30x and beyond.
—New Atlas, 27 Apr. 2026
There are five cameras in total, including two Hasselblad 200-megapixel snappers, the main and 3x telephoto models.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Google phones have always excelled at taking pictures, with high-quality lenses and advanced post-processing, and the Pixel 8 Pro goes even further, with a 50MP main sensor, 48MP ultra-wide camera, and 48MP telephoto lens in the camera bar on the back of the device.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for telephoto
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
This unique visibility may have played a role in this spectacular image, which was captured by Petr Horálek, a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador, using a camera and a wide-aperture telephoto lens on the mountain Cerro Pachón in Chile.
—Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026
This external lens mounts to the 3x telephoto camera module and uses a 16-element optical design for the equivalent of 300-mm reach, enabling up to 13x optical zoom and improved results at 30x and beyond.
—New Atlas, 27 Apr. 2026
There are five cameras in total, including two Hasselblad 200-megapixel snappers, the main and 3x telephoto models.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Google phones have always excelled at taking pictures, with high-quality lenses and advanced post-processing, and the Pixel 8 Pro goes even further, with a 50MP main sensor, 48MP ultra-wide camera, and 48MP telephoto lens in the camera bar on the back of the device.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for telephoto
Cite this Entry
“Telephoto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telephoto. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
