snapshot

American  

[snap-shot] / ˈsnæpˌʃɒt /

noun

snapshots plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• snapshots
  plural

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

Explanation

A snapshot is a quick photograph taken for fun. Be sure to take lots of snapshots while you're on vacation! Using the word snapshot makes it clear you're not talking about professional photographs or artistic shots you've put some thought into. A snapshot just captures a brief moment in time. You can also use this word to mean "impression or summary." A person's obituary, even if deeply moving, can never be more than a snapshot of their varied, complex life. The original 17th0century meaning of snapshot was "quick shot with a gun at a fast-moving target."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snapshot snapshots snapshotted snapshotting

"The current results are a snapshot of a moment during infection, and it opens the door to studying flu-host interactions across the entire infection cycle."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

All 50 states, five US territories such as Puerto Rico, plus an array of sporting and cultural organizations have made contributions to this collective national snapshot.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

Angelenos are flocking to the Broad to tie their personal hopes to Yoko Ono’s ‘Wish Trees for Los Angeles’ — creating a powerful, moving snapshot of the city’s collective mood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

But when the team of filmmakers arrived in 1993, in the days before mobile phone cameras, they were able to record a unique snapshot of the youth culture of the time.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

The use of an old-fashioned word for an old- fashioned garment helps date the snapshot for us, without the cliche faded photograph.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Archived snapshots of the websites for the girls' and boys' sections of the school – taken in the months before the attack - include the address of the site.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

The SSA currently does not provide the same detailed, real-time metrics as it did in the past, providing only snapshots of its performance instead of running updated tabulations of caseloads, timings and backlogs, analysts said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

Users said ADI Predictstreet mismanaged the contest, unexpectedly shifting the dates of snapshots and altering the rules, then failing to deliver tickets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

“By not just showing snapshots of the place, but … making a composition out of it, they could see that all these things form together into an experience of one place,” Siegel said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026

Fred trotted after Jenny and posed for a few quick snapshots with the two squirrels and Tater.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

The student survey indicating widespread opposition to the policy—released in February shortly after the grade proposal was publicized—was taken at an “unrepresentative moment” because it snapshotted students’ initial shock, she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

Users can choose which apps are used by the feature, and private mode on some browsers will not be snapshotted.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2025

“I know sometimes things can be snapshotted in a certain way in a particular cultural moment,” said Hernandez.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2024

Josh Kaplan explains this weird new surveillance technology that most people are still unaware of—especially those whose cars are being snapshotted.

From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2019

This clumsiness clings even to the photographs of public men, as they are snapshotted at public meetings.

From Utopia of Usurers and Other Essays by Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith)

The Chief of Police has just been here and left instructions that snapshotting is an invasion of private rights.

From The Tempering by Buck, Charles Neville

Related Words

• photo