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.

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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

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hologram Scientific  

/ hŏl′ə-grăm′,hō′lə- /

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

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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

Eventually, she was put in touch with Proto Hologram and Hyperreal, two companies which work with hologram and avatar technology.

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

We may not be able to teleport, either physically or via hologram, but we can Zoom or video chat with pretty much anyone anywhere.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2026

Videogame-accessory maker Razer showed off Project AVA, a 5-inch hologram AI friend powered by xAI’s Grok.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026

Beside him, seven-foot-tall twins strum hologram guitars and sing a song of gratitude for safe sisters and two-spirit relatives.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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

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

The Elvis Evolution website no longer references any use of holograms in the show but describes the performance as "combining cutting-edge digital technology, live actors and musicians, mind-blowing multimedia and heart-pounding music".

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2025

Bohrman drew inspiration from Star Wars to create the infamous holograms.

From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2024

She reaches out to touch the mom who went missing from the holograms halfway through her baby book.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera