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Synonyms

photo

1 American  
[foh-toh] / ˈfoʊ toʊ /

noun

plural

photos

  1. photograph.

  2. Informal. photo finish.

photo- 2 American  

  1. a combining form meaning “light” (photobiology ); also used to represent “photographic” or “photograph” in the formation of compound words.

    photocopy.
photo 1 British  
/ ˈfəʊtəʊ /

noun

  1. short for photograph

"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
photo- 2 British  

combining form

  1. of, relating to, or produced by light

    photosynthesis

  2. indicating a photographic process

    photolithography
"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
photo– Scientific  

  1. A prefix that means “light,” as in photoreceptor.

Etymology

Origin of photo1

First recorded in 1855–60; shortened form of photograph

Origin of photo-2

< Greek, combining form of phôs (genitive phōtós )

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.

There is certainly pain and grief involved in the Moriah Wilson story, but each such moment here is counterbalanced by another dazzling photo of the cyclist’s smiling face.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

"We wanted to see them because they're really pretty, good photo opportunities and something you can only see in certain times of the year... and also it just feels so peaceful and nice," she said.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

British passengers were due to start having their photo and fingerprints taken from 10 April to be allowed to enter France.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

From the expansive photo archives of his living room to a midnight shoot in the industrial heart of Chinatown, Reynaldo Rivera reveals the ghosts of Old Hollywood and the messy humanity captured in his lens.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

The first photo that came up was lips.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.