cin·e·ma·tog·ra·phy
ˌsi-nə-mə-ˈtä-grə-fē 
: the art or science of photography in a visual medium (as for movies, television, or video games)
black-and-white cinematography
But most of the cinematography is pedestrian. Many scenes are ridiculously overlit—no doubt because Technicolor was still a glorious new gimmick in 1939.—
Philip Martin
Philip Martin… this film, directed by Cameron Crowe, has better acting, more depth, and also boasts gorgeous cinematography.—Nancy Gordon
Nancy Gordon
cin·e·mat·o·graph·ic
¦si-nə-ˌma-tə-¦gra-fik
variants
or less commonly cinematographical
¦si-nə-ˌma-tə-¦gra-fi-kəl
1
a
: peculiar to, used in, or connected with cinematography
b
: skilled in cinematography
2
: filmed for or reproduced by means of motion-picture projection
3
a
: conveyed or evoked by motion pictures
b
: having qualities in common with cinematography
specifically
: using devices suggestive of motion-picture technique
Examples of cinematography in a Sentence
Noun
The film's cinematography is breathtaking.
Who did the cinematography for this film?
Recent Examples on the Web
Arushi Jacob, Variety, 12 June 2026
The writing is excellent, the performances are gripping, and the cinematography is world-class (nobody does a sweeping long shot like Spielberg).
—Ian Stokes, Space.com, 12 June 2026
Looks like the secret to winning prizes at Tribeca is to have fabulous cinematography.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 June 2026
Anaheim Public Library’s massive team effort, consisting of directorial vision, storyboards, cinematography and much more, competed for the first time in the 15 million-plus operating library budget category that included international submissions.
—Sharon Hlapcich, Oc Register, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for cinematography
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Noun
The program explored topics such as cinematography, animation, script-writing, documentary filmmaking, global acquisitions marketing, technology demonstrations, and the art of soundtracking a story.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 12 June 2026
The writing is excellent, the performances are gripping, and the cinematography is world-class (nobody does a sweeping long shot like Spielberg).
—Ian Stokes, Space.com, 12 June 2026
Looks like the secret to winning prizes at Tribeca is to have fabulous cinematography.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 June 2026
Anaheim Public Library’s massive team effort, consisting of directorial vision, storyboards, cinematography and much more, competed for the first time in the 15 million-plus operating library budget category that included international submissions.
—Sharon Hlapcich, Oc Register, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for cinematography
Cite this Entry
“Cinematography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinematography. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cinematography
noun
cin·e·ma·tog·ra·phy
ˌsin-ə-mə-ˈtäg-rə-fē
: the art or science of motion-picture photography
cinematographer
noun
-fər
Medical Definition
cinematography
noun
cin·e·ma·tog·ra·phy
ˌsin-ə-mə-ˈtäg-rə-fē
plural cinematographies
: the art or science of motion-picture photography
X-ray fluoroscopic cinematography
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