viewfinder

American

[vyoo-fahyn-der] / ˈvyuˌfaɪn dər /

noun

Photography.

finder.

viewfinder British

/ ˈvjuːˌfaɪndə /

noun

Sometimes shortened to: finder. a device on a camera, consisting of a lens system and sometimes a ground-glass screen, enabling the user to see what will be included in his photograph

"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 viewfinder

First recorded in 1890–95; view + finder

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.

"A lot of artists can have a narrow viewpoint of love and relationships - but with Jim, there's this very wide viewfinder," says Radio 1's Jack Saunders.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026

That day, something exciting appeared on the viewfinder of Gauna's drone camera.

From Science Daily • Jan. 29, 2024

There’s just one catch: Drew isn’t a reader, preferring to experience life up close and in person, through the viewfinder of her trusty camera.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 6, 2023

I was so quick to try and capture it that I didn’t have time to “fix” the axis or even look through the viewfinder.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 21, 2022

Fadi looked through the viewfinder and framed Abay and Dada in the little square.

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai

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