snapshot

snapshot — noun

1. A picture that is taken quickly and without formal preparation, usually with a s

1.nounB1
Definition

A picture that is taken quickly and without formal preparation, usually with a small camera or mobile phone.

Example

Olivia took a snapshot of the sunset over the harbour with her phone.

take a snapshot of [something]

The old box was full of faded snapshots from Arjun's grandparents' wedding.

faded snapshots — old printed photos

Common collocations
  • take a snapshot
  • digital snapshot
  • faded snapshots
  • family snapshot
Synonyms
  • photo

    shorter and more common in everyday speech; less specific about how the picture was taken

  • photograph

    more formal; can refer to any camera image, including professional ones

  • picture

    broadest term; also includes drawings and paintings

Usage Note

Unlike photograph, snapshot suggests a picture taken informally and quickly rather than in a studio or with professional equipment.

2. A quick look at a situation, group, or time period that shows what it is like, w

2.nounB2
Definition

A quick look at a situation, group, or time period that shows what it is like, without giving every detail.

Example

This report gives a snapshot of the company's financial health at year-end.

provide a snapshot of [something]

The morning walk gave Élise a quick snapshot of how the neighbourhood had changed.

a quick snapshot of [a changing situation]

Common collocations
  • snapshot of
  • provide a snapshot
  • offer a snapshot
  • brief snapshot
  • fascinating snapshot
Synonyms
  • overview

    more deliberate and thorough; suggests a wider view rather than a quick look

  • glimpse

    more visual and momentary; suggests something seen briefly by chance

  • cross-section

    emphasises that the view is representative of a larger group

  • summary

    text-based rather than visual; presents condensed information in words

Usage Note

Frequently used with the preposition 'of' to specify the subject or time period being described. Often modified by adjectives such as 'brief', 'quick', or 'fascinating'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All five words describe a way of seeing or presenting limited information about something larger. Snapshot is the most visual and informal — it suggests a single, quick impression like a camera image. Overview is more deliberate and systematic; you expect a structured description, not a quick look. Glimpse is the briefest and most passive — you catch it by chance, not by design (e.g. 'a glimpse of the celebrity through the car window'). Cross-section emphasises representativeness: a small sample that reflects the whole group. Summary is text-focused and condensed, often the result of organising information. A manager might ask for a snapshot of sales figures (quick impression) but an overview of the marketing strategy (structured report); a sociologist studies a cross-section of the population, while a journalist writes a summary of the year's events.

snapshot ↗overview ↗glimpse ↗cross-sectionsummary ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • take a snapshot
  • give a snapshot
  • provide a snapshot
  • offer a snapshot

Prepositions

Etymology

Dutch / Low GermanOld EnglishEnglish

Formed by combining snap (meaning 'a quick, sudden action', from Dutch or Low German snappen 'to seize') with shot (from Old English sc(e)ot 'a missile or the act of shooting'). In the 1800s, 'snapshot' originally referred to a quick shot fired without taking aim; by the late 1800s it had shifted to photography, describing a picture taken quickly with a handheld camera. The figurative sense — a brief impression of a situation — emerged in the mid-1900s.