cartography

noun

car·​tog·​ra·​phy kär-ˈtä-grə-fē 

: the science or art of making maps

cartographic

ˌkär-tə-ˈgra-fik 

adjective

or less commonly cartographical

ˌkär-tə-ˈgra-fi-kəl 

cartographically

ˌkär-tə-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of cartography in a Sentence

She studied cartography in college.

Recent Examples on the Web

Knox and his team’s work is an exemplar of how multidisciplinary research spanning meteorology, cartography, geography, and other social sciences disciplines can inform decisionmakers and save lives. —Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025

The distortion of Africa goes beyond cartography; Western journalists and academics have a history of misinterpreting and misrepresenting the region. —Ian H. Solomon, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2016

Recommendations The new Museo della Forma Urbis mixes archaeology and cartography to map historical Rome. —Seth Sherwood, New York Times, 15 May 2025

Hansen offered cave tours to visitors, helped lead exploration in the more than 220-mile network of caverns and helped with biology, cartography and wildlife projects. —Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French cartographie, from carte card, map + -graphie -graphy — more at card entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1847, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cartography

• arthrography
• biography
• cosmography
• cryptography
• demography
• discography
• echography
• ethnography
• filmography
• geography
• hydrography
• lithography

Kids Definition

cartography

noun

car·​tog·​ra·​phy kär-ˈtäg-rə-fē 

: the making of maps

cartographic

ˌkärt-ə-ˈgraf-ik 

adjective