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
Other changes — including updates to voting procedures in categories such as cinematography, visual effects and makeup and hairstyling — were largely technical in nature.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
The best cinematography category will now produce a shortlist of 20 films, as opposed to somewhere between 10 and 20.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2026
Storaro has more than 70 cinematography credits, including with Woody Allen, Carlos Saura, Richard Donner, Alfonso Arau and Paul Schrader.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
The movie is beautifully crafted, from Andrew Droz Palermo’s lushly surreal cinematography, to the songs by FKA twigs, Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX, supported by a score by Daniel Hart.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cinematography
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Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
The best cinematography category will now produce a shortlist of 20 films, as opposed to somewhere between 10 and 20.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2026
Storaro has more than 70 cinematography credits, including with Woody Allen, Carlos Saura, Richard Donner, Alfonso Arau and Paul Schrader.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
The movie is beautifully crafted, from Andrew Droz Palermo’s lushly surreal cinematography, to the songs by FKA twigs, Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX, supported by a score by Daniel Hart.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 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 5 May. 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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