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

The most important update for anyone who likes to play outside is that all three cameras—the ultra wide (13mm equivalent), standard (24mm equivalent), and telephoto (100mm equivalent)—all come with 48-megapixel sensors. —Jakob Schiller, Outside, 23 Sep. 2025

Even the 3x telephoto lens of the iPhone 15 Pro is clearer and more detailed than the iPhone Air's 2x shot digitally zoomed to 3x. —Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025

The 48 megapixel camera in the premium models houses a telephoto lens with 1x, 2x, 4x and 8× optical zoom and 8K recording capabilities. —James Powel, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025

Fathi used a 600 mm telephoto lens to capture exquisite detail on the lunar surface, and 50 mm and 14 mm lenses to image the striking chalk formations of the White Desert. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2025

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