viewfinder

noun

view·​find·​er ˈvyü-ˌfīn-dər How to pronounce viewfinder (audio)
: a device on a camera for showing the area of the subject to be included in the picture

Examples of viewfinder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Bring the camera up to your eye and peer through the optical viewfinder to set your frame, and press the shutter button to take a photo. Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 17 Mar. 2026 Espenak also advises turning on a camera's Long Exposure Noise Reduction feature and, more importantly, placing the moon's image in one corner of the camera's viewfinder. Jamie Carter, Space.com, 26 Feb. 2026 Bat away mirages and stick to what’s really in your viewfinder. Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026 The output from the camera module is passed to a digital viewfinder, which displays both the video and control menus generated by the module. Jordan Blanchard, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for viewfinder

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of viewfinder was in 1883

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Cite this Entry

“Viewfinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/viewfinder. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

viewfinder

noun
view·​find·​er ˈvyü-ˌfīn-dər How to pronounce viewfinder (audio)
: a device on a camera that shows the view to be included in the picture

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