telephoto

1 of 3

adjective

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

telephoto

2 of 3

noun

plural telephotos

1

: a telephoto lens

2

: a photograph taken with a camera having a telephoto lens

Telephoto

3 of 3

trademark

—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

Noun

Why not try to capture the moon using a DSLR camera and a telephoto lens when the Harvest Moon rises and in the weeks that follow to track how the shifting shadows alter its appearance? — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Super stylish thing there although a bit difficult at this (telephoto-lens) distance to get a feel for the dimensions of the piece. — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Last year's addition of telephoto capacity in the baseline Pixel models bodes well for cropping into a shot and turning something relatively far away into a moment. — Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026

Its upgraded telephoto camera can reach up to 120 times Pro Zoom. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1893, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing telephoto

• telephoto lens

Rhymes for telephoto

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

Kids Definition

telephoto

adjective

tele·​pho·​to

ˌtel-ə-ˈfōt-ō

: being a camera lens designed to give a large image of a distant object