photo opportunity

American

noun

a brief period set aside for the media to take photographs of a high government official or celebrity, usually immediately before or after a newsworthy event.

photo opportunity British

noun

an opportunity, either preplanned or accidental, for the press to photograph a politician, celebrity, or event

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of photo opportunity

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Mars flyby was far more than a photo opportunity.

From Science Daily • May 23, 2026

Altman, head of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, and Amodei, whose company Anthropic is known for its Claude chatbot, stood beside each other for the photo opportunity on stage.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

All they would need to do is decline a photo opportunity.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026

Standing between Trump and Eric in the photo opportunity afterward were Dang Thanh Tam, the developer’s chairman, and a 39-year-old Briton named Charles Boyd-Bowman, who has since become the project’s head.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

As Andy Coleman walked out of his photo opportunity, he was smiling from ear to ear and described the experience as "surreal".

From BBC • Jul. 12, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023