telegenic
adjective
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The History of Telegenic
Telegenic debuted in the 1930s, a melding of television with photogenic, “suitable for being photographed especially because of visual appeal.” The word photogenic had other, more technical meanings before it developed that one in the early decades of the 20th century, but the modern meaning led to the use of -genic of interest here: “suitable for production or reproduction by a given medium.” (That sense is also found in the rarer videogenic, a synonym of telegenic.) Telegenic may seem like a word that would primarily be used to describe people, but there is evidence of telegenic describing events (such as popular sports), objects, and responses. Occasionally, one even sees reference to a telegenic attitude, presence, charisma, or other intangible.
Examples of telegenic in a Sentence
Dan Morrison, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
Erving was the telegenic, genial face of two leagues during his 16-year professional career, carrying the ABA for five seasons with the Virginia Squires and New York Nets before going to Philly and the NBA in 1976 as part of the NBA-ABA merger.
—David Aldridge, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
This demand signals his intent to appoint people whose primary qualification is loyalty or telegenic looks, such as Fox TV host Pete Hegseth at the Defense Department and Rep. Matt Gaetz at the Department of Justice.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 16 Nov. 2024
The economic recovery from COVID was far faster and stronger here than just about anywhere else, and this summer the Democrats—operating with unexpected efficiency—replaced Joe Biden with a far more telegenic, vital, and historic candidate in Kamala Harris.
—The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for telegenic 
Dictionary Entries Near telegenic
Cite this Entry
“Telegenic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telegenic. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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