imaging

1 of 2

noun

im·​ag·​ing ˈi-mi-jiŋ 

: the action or process of using specialized techniques (such as ultrasound, tomography, or radiography) to produce an image of something that is not visible to the naked eye (such as internal bodily organs or the Earth's subsurface)

Brain imaging of patients with vascular dementia typically show small strokes or poor blood supply deep in the brain, at the natural terminal … of the blood vessel.

—Renee Meyer

Buried under sand, the layout of a city some 4,000 years old has been revealed before anyone lifted a trowel. To build the map of [the city], … archaeologists used geomagnetic imaging, which measures Earth's magnetic force.

—National Geographic

—often used before another noun

imaging equipment

a thermal imaging camera

A computed tomography scan … is an imaging test that lets doctors see inside a person's body.

—NBCNews.com

see also magnetic resonance imaging

imaging

2 of 2

present participle of image

Examples of imaging in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

UltraGreen holds an 85% market share in the US for its fluorescent dye used in surgical imaging, despite raising the average cost of its dye vials in the market by 60% and 30% in 2023 and 2024. —Bernadette Toh, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026

At least one consultant said that what’s coming is likely a multi-specialty cluster of outpatient doctors and imaging services, not a hospital. —Ariel Hart, AJC.com, 27 Jan. 2026

Google has used its imaging tools on devices, and Klivan anticipates UT’s research will help in the development of devices across Texas. —Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026

Medical imaging, including radiology — X-rays, mammograms, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound — is a prominent area for AI diagnostic tools. —Peter Shen, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

image entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1921, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing imaging

• functional magnetic resonance imaging
• magnetic resonance imaging

Rhymes for imaging

• neuroimaging

Medical Definition

imaging

noun

: the action or process of using specialized techniques (such as ultrasound, tomography, or radiography) to produce an image especially of an internal body part or organ

advances in clinical diagnostic imaging

Brain imaging has identified numerous regions of altered structure or activity in the brain during major depression, suggesting disordered neurocircuitry in a variety of structures …

—J. John Mann, The New England Journal of Medicine

—often used before another noun

imaging modalities

The advent of rapid imaging techniques has made magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) an attractive technology in the evaluation of pulmonary vascular disorders.

—Eric G. Honig et al., Scientific American Medical Bulletin

see also magnetic resonance imaging