cinematography
noun
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 GordonExamples of cinematography in a Sentence
The film's cinematography is breathtaking.
Who did the cinematography for this film?
Recent Examples on the Web
That blend of comfort meets comedy is at the heart of the campaign, directed by Mike Egan with cinematography by Julia Swain.
—Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
With deftly nuanced performances and atmospheric cinematography, this riveting drama unfolds as a story of innocence lost when young Maria’s sister goes missing without a trace.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2026
The Boston locations and production values are top notch including another fine Daniel Pemberton score, some cool needle drops, and excellent cinematography from Arseni Khatchaturan.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
Produced by Dominique Dussault and Edoyan for Nemesis Films, the Canadian production features cinematography by Etienne Roussy and editing by Omar Elhamy.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cinematography
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
With deftly nuanced performances and atmospheric cinematography, this riveting drama unfolds as a story of innocence lost when young Maria’s sister goes missing without a trace.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2026
The Boston locations and production values are top notch including another fine Daniel Pemberton score, some cool needle drops, and excellent cinematography from Arseni Khatchaturan.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
Produced by Dominique Dussault and Edoyan for Nemesis Films, the Canadian production features cinematography by Etienne Roussy and editing by Omar Elhamy.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 26 Mar. 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 6 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
