telegenic

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/ˌtɛləˈd͡ʒɛnɪk/

adjective

Having an appearance and exhibiting qualities thought to be attractive to television viewers.

“The young politician was very telegenic.”

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Meanings

adjectivetelegenic (comparative more telegenic, superlative most telegenic)

comparative more telegenic · superlative most telegenic

  1. Having an appearance and exhibiting qualities thought to be attractive to television viewers.

    The young politician was very telegenic.

    1 more example

    Then again, TV politicking simply selects for politicians who are good at TV — charismatic-cool like Mr. Obama, provocative-hot like Mr. Trump — and being telegenic does not necessarily mean having good policy or judgment or decision-making instincts.

    2024 July 22, James Poniewozik, “One Night of TV Canceled a President”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
  2. televisual

Origin

From tele- + -genic, by analogy with photogenic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan televisiu
  • televisiuhaving an appearance and exhibiting qualities attractive to television viewers
Finnish filmaattinen, telegeeninen
  • filmaattinenhaving an appearance and exhibiting qualities attractive to television viewers
  • telegeeninenhaving an appearance and exhibiting qualities attractive to television viewers
French télégénique
  • télégéniquehaving an appearance and exhibiting qualities attractive to television viewers
German telegen
  • telegenhaving an appearance and exhibiting qualities attractive to television viewers
Irish teiligineach
  • teiligineachhaving an appearance and exhibiting qualities attractive to television viewers
Italian telegenico
  • telegenicohaving an appearance and exhibiting qualities attractive to television viewers
Romanian telegenic
  • telegenichaving an appearance and exhibiting qualities attractive to television viewers
Spanish televisual
  • televisualhaving an appearance and exhibiting qualities attractive to television viewers

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with telegenic

Helleniccryogenicpathogenichygieniccarcinogenicanthropogenicschizophrenicantigenicallergenichypoallergenicmutagenicphotogenicbiogenicspleniclinolenichallucinogenicthermogeniconcogenicasthenicsthenicketogenicgenicgalenicfennec
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

telegenic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/telegenic

MLA

“telegenic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/telegenic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “telegenic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/telegenic.

Source: telegenic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.