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Synonyms

point-and-shoot

American  
[point-n-shoot] / ˈpɔɪnt nˈʃut /

adjective

  1. of or denoting a camera that does not require manual adjustment of shutter speed, focus, aperture, etc.


noun

  1. a camera with such automatic features.

point-and-shoot British  

adjective

  1. of or relating to a camera in which the lens aperture and shutter speed are automatically adjusted

"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 point-and-shoot

First recorded in 1960–65

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.

See Examples For:

Sure, someone might have taken a couple snapshots of the table — maybe your aunt with her point-and-shoot, the flash so bright it washed out the ham.

From Salon Dec. 2, 2025

The point-and-shoot digital camera is one of the most prized rediscovered technologies.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 6, 2025

They’re set in beige basements and in cluttered dorm rooms, taken with the trusty family point-and-shoot or a handy smartphone.

From Slate Oct. 5, 2023

“The small, black point-and-shoot camera I use in the film was Kit’s actual camera — and that felt very powerful, to have that in my hands.”

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 15, 2022

So I dove into the wild world of Facebook Marketplace, combed through a sea of scams and landed a Canon 35mm film point-and-shoot from the early 1990s.

From Washington Post

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