hologram

American  

[hol-uh-gram, hoh-luh-] / ˈhɒl əˌgræm, ˈhoʊ lə- /

noun

Optics.

• holograms
  plural

1. a negative produced by exposing a high-resolution photographic plate, without camera or lens, near a subject illuminated by monochromatic, coherent radiation, as from a laser: when it is placed in a beam of coherent light a true three-dimensional image of the subject is formed.

---

hologram British  

/ ˈhɒləˌɡræm /

noun

1. a photographic record produced by illuminating the object with coherent light (as from a laser) and, without using lenses, exposing a film to light reflected from this object and to a direct beam of coherent light. When interference patterns on the film are illuminated by the coherent light a three-dimensional image is produced

---

hologram Scientific  

/ hŏl′ə-grăm′,hō′lə- /

1. A three-dimensional image of an object made by holography.

---

Closer Look

To produce a simple hologram, a beam of coherent, monochromatic light, such as that produced by a laser, is split into two beams. One part, the object or illumination beam, is directed onto the object and reflected onto a high-resolution photographic plate. The other part, the reference beam, is beamed directly onto the photographic plate. The interference pattern of the two light beams is recorded on the plate. When the developed hologram is illuminated from behind (in the same direction as the original reference beam) by a beam of coherent light, it projects a three-dimensional image of the original object in space, shifting in perspective when viewed from different angles. Appropriately enough, the word hologram comes from the Greek words holos, “whole,” and gramma, “message.” If a hologram is cut into pieces, each piece projects the entire image, but as if viewed from a smaller subset of angles. The large amount of information contained in holograms makes them harder to forge than two-dimensional images. Many credit cards, CDs, sports memorabilia, and other items include holographic stickers as indicators of authenticity. Holography is used in many fields, including medicine, data storage, architecture, engineering, and the arts.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• holograms
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of hologram

First recorded in 1945–50; holo- + -gram ¹

---

Explanation

If you've ever looked through a View-Master, you've seen a hologram — an image or photograph that appears to be three-dimensional. Holograms sometimes appear on credit cards, passports, and driver's licenses as security against forgery, and they are also occasionally used in art. The process of creating a hologram is complicated and scientific, usually involving a special kind of laser. The word hologram was invented by Dennis Gabor, the scientist who developed holography in 1949, by combining the Greek holos, "whole," and gramme, "line."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hologram holograms

One of the last things Hal Jordan’s hologram tells John before he blinks out, possibly forever, will define Pierre’s hero moving forward, along with this series, should it earn a second season.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

Projects include a 30-episode reality microdrama from Mike Fleiss called “Dateable” and a short film starring Kyra Sedgwick as a comforting AI hologram.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

"Now, before anyone gets confused, I'm not actually here in Valhalla today," explained the hologram of Bill.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026

We’ve either run out of steam or brains, or maybe both, because now it’s increasingly like, sure, why not feature a hologram of Tupac at a Salesforce conference.

From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2026

Alex taps his G-glasses a few times, and a miniature hologram of a Manifestor man at a news desk floats between us.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

By drawing on video archives and integrating holograms and agentic AI, teams or athletes from any era can be revived to compete against each other—a godsend for NFL fans when the season ends.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Or perhaps their AI holograms will one day reveal whether they said “I do.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026

And when the lead single from that 2023 album, Sprinter, which has since broken several streaming records, was played towards the end, the holograms were teamed with graphics to provide a truly electric experience.

From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026

Along with AI-generated holograms and sci-fi animation, the heart of the neon-lit venue features a giant cylindrical computer -- presented as the digital mainframe powering the restaurant's lights and smoke shows.

From Barron's ● Nov. 30, 2025

Citra pulled out her phone and projected a series of holograms into her palm, cupping it so no one but Rowan could see.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---