viewfinder

American

[vyoo-fahyn-der] / ˈvjuˌfaɪn 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.

See Examples For:

viewfinder

You should not use binoculars, telescopes or the viewfinder of a camera even with your eclipse glasses on, because their magnifying effect can nullify the protection of the glasses and damage your sight.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Was he so concerned with capturing his son’s malaise as Adrian became an adult that he missed details he might’ve seen if one eye weren’t looking through the viewfinder?

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

She daydreams about installing a pier for fishing, lookout points along the shore and adult treehouses for glamping among conifers so tall they don’t fit in a camera’s viewfinder.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2024

When on his lunch break, he takes snapshots of trees without looking through the viewfinder.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 15, 2024

It could seem very complicated, but for Fadi, once a camera was in his hand and he was looking through the viewfinder, it all fell into place.

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai

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