green screen

noun

plural green screens
: a photographic technique in which a subject is filmed in front of a green background so as to allow matte (see matte entry 3 sense 2) compositing of the film with other footage
Show curators are using green screen, augmented reality and visual effects to create an illusion of a near-real event.—Ruhail Amin
also : the green background
The kids recorded themselves at home, shooting videos in front of a home-made green screen, which Mrs. Hopkins sent home for their families. —Katie Morse
—often used before another noun
green screen technology
compare blue screen

Examples of green screen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even assistant directors need a basic grasp of AI, as gray screens marked with tracking points replace green screens. — Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026 Video director Joseph Kahn captured most of the visual content in front of a green screen over three days during the CMA Music Festival that June. — Tom Roland, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2026 Even the actors’ bodies exhibit the bland greige produced by the high dynamic range of digital cameras and are flattened by the inconsistent lighting that comes from overuse of green screens. — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 One of the things that people love to do right now, because driving shots are so difficult, is just throw you in a car with a big green screen behind you. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for green screen

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of green screen was in 1983

Rhymes for green screen

See All Rhymes for green screen

Browse Nearby Words

greenschist
green screen
green sea
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Green screen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/green%20screen. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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