# photo

/ˈfoʊˌtoʊ/ (US) · /fˈəʊtəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/photo
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a picture

noun · CEFR A1 · Informal

a picture taken with a camera or phone.

For teachers: an image produced by the action of light on a sensitive surface or digital sensor.

- She took a photo of her friends at the beach to remember the day.
- The journalist uploaded a high-resolution photo of the protest, capturing the intensity of the crowd before the police arrived.

Usage: Usually takes the verb 'take' and the preposition 'of' for the subject.

Teaching tip: While technically informal, 'photo' is now the standard term in almost all contexts except for very formal art galleries or legal documents.

### 2. to take a picture

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to take a picture of someone or something.

For teachers: to capture an image of a subject using a camera. Transitive — requires a direct object.

- The fans tried to photo the celebrity as she walked to her car.
- The researchers spent weeks in the field attempting to photo the elusive snow leopard in its natural habitat.

Usage: Used as a transitive verb; the object is the person or thing being photographed.

## Examples

- I took a photo of the sunset.
- She keeps a framed photo of her family on her desk to remind her of home while she works.
- Digital storage allows us to capture every moment, yet a single physical photo often carries more sentimental weight than a thousand files on a hard drive.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.