photography

American  

[fuh-tog-ruh-fee] / fəˈtɒg rə fi /

noun

• photographies
  plural

1. the process or art of producing images of objects on sensitized surfaces by the chemical action of light or of other forms of radiant energy, as x-rays, gamma rays, or cosmic rays.

2. cinematography.

---

photography British  

/ fəˈtɒɡrəfɪ /

noun

1. the process of recording images on sensitized material by the action of light, X-rays, etc, and the chemical processing of this material to produce a print, slide, or cine film

2. the art, practice, or occupation of taking and printing photographs, making cine films, etc

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• multiphotography
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• photographies
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of photography

First recorded in 1839; photo- + -graphy

---

Explanation

Photography is the art or process of taking pictures using a camera. If you're very interested in photography, you might want to learn how to develop your own film in a darkroom. You should also practice yelling "Say cheese!" The word photography combines Greek roots phōtos, "light," and graphé, "represent by drawing lines" — so photography is essentially "drawing with light." Since it was invented in the 19th century, the art of capturing images using light has expanded far beyond what the original photographers could have imagined. Today many of us practice photography using our phones. Other advances through the years have included color film, instant photographs, and digital photography, among many others.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

photography

Each is decorated with photography and art pieces from the family collection, many of which are equestrian-themed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

They’re swapping out traditional serif fonts and faceless boardroom photography for colorful palettes and smiling, approachable partner portraiture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Purdue University said the object had since been confirmed to have been visible in aerial photography of the area dating back to 1938.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Palestinian freelancer Mahmoud Abu Hamda on Saturday won the photography category in the prestigious Bayeux award for war correspondents for his work from Gaza.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026

“Please? Conner’s camping this weekend, and Mom and Dad are going to a photography workshop on Friday night. Can you please take care of his disgusting dog? You and Jenna can stay over.”

From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---