snapshot

American  

[snap-shot] / ˈsnæpˌʃɒt /

noun

1. an informal photograph, especially one taken quickly by a handheld camera.

2. Hunting. a quick shot taken without deliberate aim.

3. Informal. a brief appraisal, summary, or profile.

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verb (used with or without object)

snapshot, snapshotted, snapshotting

1. to photograph informally and quickly.

snapshot British  

/ ˈsnæpˌʃɒt /

noun

1. Often shortened to: snap.  an informal photograph taken with a simple camera

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Etymology

Origin of snapshot

1800–10 snapshot for def. 2; 1860–65 snapshot for def. 1; snap (in the sense “done suddenly or casually”) + shot ¹

Example Sentences

For now, February’s retail figures stand as a snapshot of an economy that was briefly gathering strength, before war reared its head.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

A recent “point in time” count, as they’re called, the famously incomplete snapshot of how many people are homeless in a city on a given night, clocked the city’s homeless population at 2,500.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

For an island where finance and farming coexist, banknotes offer a quiet but revealing snapshot of how Jersey sees itself, its culture, and its priorities.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Still, as was the case with speed, these tests only represent a snapshot in time.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

He saw that he had overlooked an enclosed snapshot.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

Related Words

• photo