photogenic

adjective

pho·​to·​ge·​nic ˌfō-tə-ˈje-nik  -ˈjē- 

1

: produced or precipitated by light

photogenic dermatitis

2

: producing or generating light : phosphorescent

photogenic bacteria

3

: suitable for being photographed especially because of visual appeal

a photogenic smile

photogenically

ˌfō-tə-ˈje-ni-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈjē-

adverb

Examples of photogenic in a Sentence

She's a very photogenic child.

This is the city's most photogenic park.

Recent Examples on the Web

Palm Beach, Florida, is arguably one of the South’s most photogenic towns. —Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 3 May 2026

Cap it off at Wynwood Walls, the outdoor street art museum that doubles as Miami’s most photogenic block. —Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026

There's Saint-Marcellin, a name cheese-lovers around the world will recognize for its round, soft, cow's milk cheese, as well as Pont-en-Royans with its photogenic sequence of medieval houses perched over a scenic river. —Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026

Now, 30% of Maran’s current sales are refills, most of which are contained in photogenic, sensorially satisfying pouches. —Kara McGrath, Allure, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for photogenic

• allergenic
• androgenic
• antigenic
• authigenic
• autogenic
• biogenic
• bronchogenic
• chromogenic
• cryogenic
• echogenic
• estrogenic
• isogenic

Kids Definition

photogenic

adjective

pho·​to·​ge·​nic ˌfōt-ə-ˈjen-ik  -ˈjēn- 

: suitable for being photographed : likely to photograph well

a photogenic child

photogenically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

photogenic

adjective

pho·​to·​gen·​ic ˌfōt-ə-ˈjen-ik 

1

: produced or precipitated by light

photogenic epilepsy

photogenic dermatitis

2

: producing or generating light : phosphorescent

photogenic bacteria