Meaning & use

telephoto

adjective·Academic

Describing a camera lens designed to photograph distant subjects by making them appear closer and larger.

See it in a sentence

She used a telephoto lens to capture the eagle perched on a far cliff.

The photographer switched to a telephoto setting for the distant wildlife shots.

A note on using this word

Contrasts with a "wide-angle" lens, which captures a broader scene rather than magnifying a distant subject.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

wide-angle

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