hologram

noun

ho·​lo·​gram ˈhō-lə-ˌgram  ˈhä- 

: a three-dimensional image reproduced from a pattern of interference produced by a split coherent beam of radiation (such as a laser)

also : the pattern of interference itself

Did you know?

A hologram is a picture of a "whole" object, showing it in three dimensions. We've all seen cheap hologram images on credit cards and ID cards (where they help prevent copying). Far more impressive are large holograms that take the form of a ghostly 3-D moving figure that you can walk around to see from all angles. Holograms were invented in 1947 but only perfected after the invention of the laser in 1960. Today they're used in such technologies as compact-disc players and checkout scanners, and holograms can be created of the inside of live internal organs to permit doctors to examine the organs in great detail. And soon televisions with hologram technology may enable us to watch in "3-D".

Examples of hologram in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Shakur and his art are still beloved by many – so much so that Coachella featured his hologram entertaining attendees in 2012, 16 years after his death. — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026

Most of all, Bieniemy might as well be here in sensurround or casting his hologram over the proceedings. — Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026

Nor are the shows, strictly speaking, built around a hologram or projection. — Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Readers are swiftly losing any regard for the line between hologram and book, between map and territory. — Literary Hub, 15 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

holo- + -gram

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hologram

• abraham
• anagram
• cablegram
• cofferdam
• dendrogram
• diagram
• diaphragm
• epigram
• hexagram
• histogram
• instagram
• kilogram

Kids Definition

hologram

noun

ho·​lo·​gram ˈhō-lə-ˌgram  ˈhäl-ə- 

: a three-dimensional picture made by a complex pattern of light (as laser light)

Medical Definition

hologram

noun

ho·​lo·​gram ˈhō-lə-ˌgram  ˈhäl-ə- 

: a three-dimensional image reproduced from a pattern of interference produced by a split coherent beam of radiation (as from a laser)

also : the pattern of interference itself