slideshow

slideshow — noun

1. a set of physical transparent photographs, called slides, that are placed in a p

1.nounB1
Definition

a set of physical transparent photographs, called slides, that are placed in a projector and shown one by one on a white screen or wall.

Example

Grandpa showed us a slideshow of his trip to Japan using the old projector.

collocation: slideshow of [trip/event]

The museum's slideshow of 1970s landscapes ran for twenty minutes.

Common collocations
  • show a slideshow
  • slideshow projector
  • old slideshow
  • slideshow of [place/event]
Synonyms
  • slide presentation

    more formal, often implies a live presenter speaking alongside the slides

  • projection show

    less common and more technical, focuses on the projection equipment

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'projector', 'screen', and 'slide'. This sense describes the traditional method before digital displays became widespread.

Common Mistakes

She created a slide show of her holiday pictures.
She created a slideshow of her holiday pictures.
'slideshow' is now usually written as one closed compound word.

2. a series of digital photos or images that appear one after another on a computer

2.nounA2
Definition

a series of digital photos or images that appear one after another on a computer, phone, or website, often advancing automatically or by clicking.

Example

Salma created a slideshow of her baby's first year for the party.

collocation: create a slideshow of [event]

The website's homepage features a slideshow of new products this season.

collocation: features a slideshow of [items]

Common collocations
  • create a slideshow
  • photo slideshow
  • wedding slideshow
  • vacation slideshow
  • online slideshow
Synonyms
  • image carousel

    usually refers to an auto-rotating banner on a website, not necessarily user-controlled

  • photo gallery

    implies a collection users can browse freely in any order, not forced sequential viewing

  • digital album

    suggests personal photos organized by theme or event, with optional slideshow playback

Usage Note

Very common in web design (for image carousels) and photo-sharing apps. The slideshow can advance automatically on a timer or be controlled manually by clicking or swiping.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four terms describe a collection of images displayed digitally, but they differ in how a user interacts with them. A 'slideshow' advances through images one by one, either automatically or by clicking, with a fixed order. An 'image carousel' typically refers to a looping, auto-advancing banner on a website, often used for promotions. A 'photo gallery' gives the viewer more freedom to browse images in any order, like a grid or list to click through. A 'digital album' is more personal, grouping photos by event or theme on a phone or cloud service, and may offer a slideshow mode as an option. For example, a news site uses an image carousel on its homepage, but you could create a slideshow from your photo album to share at a family gathering.

slideshow ↗image carouselphoto gallerydigital album

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

  • slideshow of [topic]
  • slideshow from [event]

Etymology

Old EnglishModern English

Formed by combining the nouns 'slide' and 'show'. 'Slide' comes from Old English 'slīdan', meaning to move smoothly across a surface. 'Show' comes from Old English 'scēawian', meaning to look at or see. The compound 'slideshow' first appeared in the mid-1900s, when photographic slides became a popular format for home and classroom presentations. The word later broadened to include digital image sequences.