hologram

IPA/ˈhɒləɡræm/
KK[hˈɑləɡrˌæm]IPA/ˈhəʊləɡræm/

hologram — noun

  • hologramsingular
  • hologramsplural

1. a laser-made image that shows objects with depth and solid form, giving the impr

1.nounB1
Definition

a laser-made image that shows objects with depth and solid form, giving the impression that they occupy real space instead of looking flat on a surface

Example

At the science fair, Jisoo watched a hologram of a dinosaur skeleton float in mid-air.

hologram of [object] + float / appear solid

A hologram display made remote workers seem to sit at the same table.

hologram display for remote presence

Common collocations
  • create a hologram
  • project a hologram
  • display a hologram
  • 3D hologram
Synonyms
  • 3D image

    Broader term — includes any image with depth, not specifically made with lasers

  • projection

    More general; a projection is light cast onto a surface, while a hologram appears to float in space

  • virtual image

    Technical term from optics; not everyday vocabulary

Grammar Patterns

hologram + of + noun

Usage Note

Hologram can refer both to a static recorded image (such as the security mark on a card) and to a live projected display (such as a floating figure at a concert). In everyday speech, the term is sometimes used loosely for any 3D image produced by newer technologies such as augmented reality.

Common Mistakes

It's just a hologram' (said dismissively about any virtual image).
It's just a projection
not a real hologram.' — A true hologram uses laser interference patterns; many so-called 'holograms' in popular media are actually augmented-reality illusions or simple 3D projections.
The mirror shows a hologram of me.
The mirror shows my reflection.
A reflection in a mirror is not a hologram; holograms are recorded or generated images that appear three-dimensional.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A hologram is a specific type of 3D image created using laser interference patterns — the object appears to float in space and changes perspective as you move around it. A '3D image' is a much broader category that includes computer graphics, stereoscopic photos, and VR renderings that simply look solid but may not have true depth parallax. A 'projection' is light cast onto a screen or surface; unlike a hologram, it does not appear to occupy empty space. 'Holography' is the technique itself, not the image — so saying 'I saw a holography' is incorrect. For example, a credit card security sticker contains a real hologram, while a movie character appearing as a floating head is usually just a clever projection.

hologram ↗3D imageprojection ↗holography

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • create a hologram
  • project a hologram
  • hologram of [something]

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekEnglish

Coined in the 1940s from Greek 'holos' meaning 'whole' or 'complete' and 'gramma' meaning 'something written' or 'a drawing'. The idea was that a hologram captures the whole optical information of an object, not just one flat view. The word was popularised after the invention of the laser in the 1960s, which made practical holography possible.

First known use

1949

1949, in the meaning defined above