parallax
noun
par·al·lax
ˈper-ə-ˌlaks 
ˈpa-rə-
: the apparent displacement or the difference in apparent direction of an object as seen from two different points not on a straight line with the object
especially
: the angular difference in direction of a celestial body as measured from two points on the earth's orbit
Examples of parallax in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The device famously introduced stereoscopic 3D, requiring players to strap into a clunky headset to experience its groundbreaking (and headache-inducing) parallax effects decades before the VR boom of the 2010s.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2025
Analysts later determined the object was likely a weather balloon and that the apparent velocity was an optical illusion caused by parallax.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
Though many had tried, no astronomer in Michell’s time had successfully used parallax measurement to determine the distance to our nearest stars.
—Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
This leads to lots of level variety and the parallax scrolling in the backgrounds is really impressive.
—David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parallax
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.
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2025
Analysts later determined the object was likely a weather balloon and that the apparent velocity was an optical illusion caused by parallax.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
Though many had tried, no astronomer in Michell’s time had successfully used parallax measurement to determine the distance to our nearest stars.
—Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
This leads to lots of level variety and the parallax scrolling in the backgrounds is really impressive.
—David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parallax
Cite this Entry
“Parallax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parallax. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
parallax
noun
par·al·lax
ˈpar-ə-ˌlaks
: the apparent shift in position of an object as seen from two different points not on a straight line with the object
Medical Definition
parallax
noun
par·al·lax
ˈpar-ə-ˌlaks
: the apparent displacement or the difference in apparent direction of an object as seen from two different points not on a straight line with the object
motion parallax governs the way objects appear to move when the eyes or head are shifted—Edmund Andrews
Edmund AndrewsLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share