photogenic

adjective

pho·​to·​ge·​nic ˌfō-tə-ˈje-nik  -ˈjē- 

1

: produced or precipitated by light

photogenic dermatitis

2

: producing or generating light : phosphorescent

photogenic bacteria

3

: suitable for being photographed especially because of visual appeal

a photogenic smile

photogenically

ˌfō-tə-ˈje-ni-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈjē-

adverb

Examples of photogenic in a Sentence

She's a very photogenic child.

This is the city's most photogenic park.

Recent Examples on the Web

Not only is this cobbler a delicious experience, but the rich tones of the berries make this cobbler especially photogenic. —Patricia S York, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026

Birch has now taken matters into his own hands and will breed his Highland cows with cattle from another breed in an attempt to make the animals less photogenic. —Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026

The sharp contrast between dry air and dense precipitation makes the phenomenon particularly photogenic and, as Ford put it, genuinely sci-fi in appearance. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026

Beyond the lamb pan As with every photogenic treat, lamb cakes have spread further thanks to social media – where people have shared everything from Martha Stewart perfection to lamb cakes gone wrong. —Deena Prichep, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for photogenic

• allergenic
• androgenic
• antigenic
• authigenic
• autogenic
• biogenic
• bronchogenic
• chromogenic
• cryogenic
• echogenic
• estrogenic
• isogenic

Kids Definition

photogenic

adjective

pho·​to·​ge·​nic ˌfōt-ə-ˈjen-ik  -ˈjēn- 

: suitable for being photographed : likely to photograph well

a photogenic child

photogenically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

photogenic

adjective

pho·​to·​gen·​ic ˌfōt-ə-ˈjen-ik 

1

: produced or precipitated by light

photogenic epilepsy

photogenic dermatitis

2

: producing or generating light : phosphorescent

photogenic bacteria