aspect ratio

American  

[as-pekt rey-shoh, rey--shee-oh] / ˈæs pɛkt ˌreɪ ʃoʊ, ˌreɪ ˌʃi oʊ /

noun

1. Aeronautics. the ratio of the span of an airfoil to its mean chord.

2. Digital Technology, Television. the ratio of the width of an image to its height, usually a standard ratio such as 16 to 9 or 4 to 3.

3. Naval Architecture. the ratio of the height of a rudder to its fore-and-aft length.

4. Rocketry.

   1. Also called fineness ratio.  Also called slenderness ratio.  the ratio of the mean diameter of the body of a rocket or missile to its length.

   2. the ratio of the length of the combustion chamber of a rocket motor to its diameter.

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aspect ratio British  

noun

1. the ratio of width to height of the picture on a television or cinema screen

2. aeronautics the ratio of the span of a wing to its mean chord

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Etymology

Origin of aspect ratio

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Filming in a constricting boxy aspect ratio, the Ukrainian director takes us inside a corroding prison filled with men unjustly incarcerated as enemies of the state.

From Los Angeles Times

You have Veloso’s immersive, painterly work in a 3:2 aspect ratio that gives you the feeling that you’re gazing through a window into the past.

From Los Angeles Times

The cinematography by Adolpho Veloso, who also shot “The Jockey,” is particularly fine, working in a boxy 3:2 aspect ratio to capture the lush expanses of the land where Grainier lives and works.

From Los Angeles Times

Filmed in a boxy aspect ratio that visually imprisons her in her circumstances, the movie uses tracking shots as hints into its character’s mindset.

From Los Angeles Times

People think, “Oh it’s just bigger or there’s more sound,” but the aspect ratio actually changes from scene to scene and it really impacts your viewing experience.

From Los Angeles Times