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
The filmmaking here is exceptional, including Charlie Greene’s exceptional editing, and the tight tense hand held cinematography from Matthew Libatique, and even Cooper himself who operates one of the cameras.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2025
The series is written by Bellocchio, Stefano Bises, Giordana Mari, and Peppe Fiore, with cinematography by Francesco Di Giacomo.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2025
The impeccable direction and cinematography, the masterful suspense, and the pitch-perfect performance of Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates all combine to create not just one of the best horror movies of all time, but one of the best films of all time, period.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
The tight script by Jimmy Sangster slots the best parts of Stoker's novel into a pace-y, sub-90-minute runtime, and Jack Asher's color cinematography still appears lush today.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cinematography
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Pete Hammond, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2025
The series is written by Bellocchio, Stefano Bises, Giordana Mari, and Peppe Fiore, with cinematography by Francesco Di Giacomo.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2025
The impeccable direction and cinematography, the masterful suspense, and the pitch-perfect performance of Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates all combine to create not just one of the best horror movies of all time, but one of the best films of all time, period.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
The tight script by Jimmy Sangster slots the best parts of Stoker's novel into a pace-y, sub-90-minute runtime, and Jack Asher's color cinematography still appears lush today.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cinematography
Cite this Entry
“Cinematography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinematography. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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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