cartography

noun

car·​tog·​ra·​phy kär-ˈtä-grə-fē How to pronounce cartography (audio)
: the science or art of making maps
cartographic adjective
or less commonly cartographical
cartographically adverb

Examples of cartography in a Sentence

She studied cartography in college.
Recent Examples on the Web The original owner’s love of cartography influenced the design, so the home is organized around a long reflecting pool aligned due north. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 3 July 2024 The show, hosted at UNESCO headquarters, featured cartography graphics and military berets, and pointed to travel, aviation, international diplomacy and a creative dialogue — notably through collaborating with the creative collective Air Afrique on graphics. Alice Pfeiffer, CNN, 25 June 2024 Obviously, whatever municipal office keeps records of ice-cave cartography is closed for the festive season, but there’s a Venn diagram of evidence suggesting itself already. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2024 Yet many trail names honor European settlers and explorers who traveled through those areas, and historical events following their arrival; and most cartography, including trail maps used by hikers, excludes Indigenous ancestral territories. Katherine Gallardo, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for cartography 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cartography.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French cartographie, from carte card, map + -graphie -graphy — more at card entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cartography was circa 1847

Dictionary Entries Near cartography

Cite this Entry

“Cartography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cartography. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

cartography

noun
car·​tog·​ra·​phy kär-ˈtäg-rə-fē How to pronounce cartography (audio)
: the making of maps
cartographic adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on cartography

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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