photograph

1 of 2

noun

pho·​to·​graph ˈfō-tə-ˌgraf How to pronounce photograph (audio)
Synonyms of photographnext
: a picture or likeness obtained by photography

photograph

2 of 2

verb

photographed; photographing; photographs

transitive verb

: to take a photograph of

intransitive verb

1
: to take a photograph
2
: to appear as an image in a photograph
an actress who photographs well

Synonyms of photograph

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Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of photograph in a Sentence

Noun I always take a lot of photographs when I travel. the old photograph was faded but still clear enough to make out Verb He photographed the women sitting on the bench. She was photographed in the studio.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Those mounds of soil — not apparent in the photograph — were consistent with digging a hole as dirt is shoveled out and dumped along the edge. — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026 The lines to input everyone’s data and photograph and fingerprint have led to long delays in places. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Verb
His older sisters are frequently photographed out and about, but Louis—an aspiring actor—largely stays out of the spotlight. — Christopher Luu, InStyle, 5 July 2026 Guests who left the rehearsal dinner on Thursday were photographed carrying monogrammed velvet boxes in images shared by DeuxMoi. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for photograph

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1839, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1839, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of photograph was in 1839

Phrases Containing photograph

Rhymes for photograph

See All Rhymes for photograph

Browse Nearby Words

photogrammetry
photograph
photographable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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Kids Definition

photograph

1 of 2 noun
pho·​to·​graph ˈfōt-ə-ˌgraf How to pronounce photograph (audio)
: a picture obtained by photography

photograph

2 of 2 verb
1
: to take a photograph of
2
: to take photographs
3
: to be photographed
photographer
fə-ˈtäg-rə-fər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on photograph

Nglish: Translation of photograph for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about photograph

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