cartography

1 of 2

noun

car·​tog·​ra·​phy kär-ˈtä-grə-fē How to pronounce cartography (audio)
: the science or art of making maps
cartographic
ˌkär-tə-ˈgra-fik How to pronounce cartography (audio)
adjective
or less commonly cartographical
ˌkär-tə-ˈgra-fi-kəl How to pronounce cartography (audio)
cartographically
ˌkär-tə-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce cartography (audio)
adverb

cartographic

2 of 2

adjective

car·​to·​graph·​ic ¦kär-tə-¦gra-fik How to pronounce cartographic (audio)
variants or less commonly cartographical
¦kär-tə-¦gra-fi-kəl How to pronounce cartographic (audio)
: of or relating to cartography : relating to or used for the production of maps
cartographic tools/skills
a cartographic error
cartographically adverb
A week ago Monday, an early edition of the New York Times, cartographically portraying Reagan's itinerary in Latin America, had the President visiting Sao Paulo. —Alexander Cockburn, Village Voice, 7 Dec. 1982

Examples of cartography in a Sentence

Noun She studied cartography in college.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
For decades, seabed cartography was a scientific backwater. — Natalie Sum Yue Chung, Fortune, 3 May 2026 Villa Park’s Justin Lopez had two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs for the South, which is a South school by all-star game cartography. — Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 4 June 2026 Ryan Coogler’s Sinners couldn’t exist without Wilson’s cartography. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026 This month’s primary election underscored how creative political cartography can tilt outcomes. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for cartography

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French cartographie, from carte card, map + -graphie -graphy — more at card entry 1

Adjective

French cartographique, from cartographie + -ique -ic, -ical

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cartography was circa 1847

Rhymes for cartography

See All Rhymes for cartography

Browse Nearby Words

cartographic unit
cartography
cartomancy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cartography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cartography. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cartography

noun
car·​tog·​ra·​phy kär-ˈtäg-rə-fē How to pronounce cartography (audio)
: the making of maps
cartographic
ˌkärt-ə-ˈgraf-ik How to pronounce cartography (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on cartography

Nglish: Translation of cartography for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cartography

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