Meanings
plural cinematographers
- broadcastingA photographer who oversees the operations of the cameras and lighting when making a film. The cinematographer may also double as the camera operator of the movie camera, though this is usually done by a cameraman. The film director may also double as the cinematographer, though this is usually a different person.
Rio and cinematographer Adam Pietkiewicz shot Angh on 16mm film, drawing on photographs and footage of missionaries and Naga communities from the 1950s and 60s.
2026 September 25, Zoya Mateen, “From Nagaland to a path to the Oscars: Indian film brings a rarely seen world to global cinema”, in BBC News, retrieved 25 Sep 2026Synonyms: director of photography, DP, DOP
- datedOne who exhibits motion pictures; a projectionist.
It is what the spectator sees, not reads, that leaves the lasting impression. The best plan is to have the cinematographer call in order to determine the details to be covered.
1916, The American School Board Journal, volume 53, page 41
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA photographer who oversees the operations of the cameras and lighting when making a film. The cinematographer may also double as the camera operator of the movie camera, though this is usually done by a cameraman. The film director may also double as the cinematographer, though this is usually a different person.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 電影攝影師 /电影摄影师
- 電影攝影師 /电影摄影师 (diànyǐngshèyǐngshī)a movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
Danish filmfotograf
- filmfotografa movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
Esperanto ĉefkameraisto, kameraistino
- ĉefkameraistoa movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
- kameraistinoa movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
Finnish elokuvaaja, kuvaaja
- elokuvaajaa movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
- kuvaajaa movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
French directeur de la photographie, directeur photo
- directeur de la photographiea movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
- directeur photoa movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
- chef opérateura movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
- cheffe opératricea movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
- directrice de la photographiea movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
- directrice photoa movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
German Kameramann, Kamerafrau
- Kameramanna movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
- Kamerafraua movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
Hungarian operatőr
- operatőra movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
Japanese 撮影監督
- 撮影監督 (satsuei kantoku)a movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
Romanian cineast, cineastă
- cineasta movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
- cineastăa movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
Russian кинематографи́ст, кинематографи́стка
- кинематографи́ст (kinematografíst)a movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
- кинематографи́стка (kinematografístka)a movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
Ukrainian кінематографі́ст, кінематографі́стка
- кінематографі́ст (kinematohrafíst)a movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
- кінематографі́стка (kinematohrafístka)a movie photographer, especially one who is in charge of shooting a movie
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
cinematographer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cinematographer
“cinematographer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cinematographer. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cinematographer,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cinematographer.
Source: cinematographer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.