What does "snapshot" mean?
A photograph, especially one taken quickly or in a sudden moment of opportunity.
Snapshot
/ˈsnæpʃɒt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A photograph, especially one taken quickly or in a sudden moment of opportunity.
- Grammar: snapshot is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: aerial photograph, backup, beefcake, black-and-white photograph.
- Useful contrasts: alter, comprehensive analysis, current state.
- Usage evidence: This is a snapshot of my wife on the beach.
How to use "snapshot"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "snapshot" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "snapshot" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "snapshot" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "snapshot" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "snapshot" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aerial photograph" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "snapshot", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A photograph, especially one taken quickly or in a sudden moment of opportunity.
"He carried a snapshot of his daughter."
- 2 an informal photograph; usually made with a small hand-held camera wordnet
- 3 A glimpse of something; a portrayal of something at a moment in time.
"The article offered a snapshot of life in that region."
- 4 A file or set of files captured at a particular time, often capable of being reloaded to restore the earlier state.
"This game is so hard that I find myself taking a snapshot every few seconds in case I get killed."
- 5 A quick, unplanned or unexpected shot.
"Yet Revell misjudged his promising position in the area to put his point-blank snapshot wide from only six yards out."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A quick offhand shot, made without deliberately taking aim over the sights.
"How quick the eye and hand to catch him [the ruffed grouse] when he rises from the underbrush and is out of sight in the wood before the untrained sportsman stops him with what is little more than a snapshot, so instantaneously must all be done!"
Verb
- 1 To take a photograph of. transitive
"As he did not appear disposed to move off, I took my camera and approached within about thirty yards, when I snapshotted him."
- 2 To capture the state of, in a snapshot. transitive
"Filer appliances also offer programmatic snapshotting and cloning at the block-level or file system-level."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"This is a snapshot of my wife on the beach."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "snapshot"?
Common synonyms include: aerial photograph, backup, beefcake, black-and-white photograph, candid photograph, capture.
How do you use "snapshot" in a sentence?
This is a snapshot of my wife on the beach.
How do you pronounce "snapshot"?
Pronounced /ˈsnæpʃɒt/.
Etymology
From snap + shot.