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.

Local officials boarded the ship for a photo opportunity with the captain.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

It's not just a grip-and-grin photo opportunity, with some warm words and a few celebrities hitting the embassy prosecco.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 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

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

They charge $77.25 for a photo opportunity with the World Series championship trophy, with a press box tour included.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 28, 2024

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