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

For instance, Michaelis pitched a makeup to recreate the tree with a face from the Rainforest Cafe (nixed because the green wouldn’t work with green screen elements), which led to makeup department head Alex Perrone pitching the same nature element, but a collection of rocks. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 12 June 2025

The school sports a Volume stage and virtual production studios utilizing camera tracking, LED walls and green screen technology, as well as broadcast television studios with industry grade equipment such as VIZrt graphics systems, Grass Valley switchers and Sony broadcast cameras. —Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 23 Apr. 2025

Many of these films, the recent Snow White most nefarious amongst them, are leaden with uncanny valley CGI, bizarre green screen devotion and a surprising lack of artistic intent. —Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 20 May 2025

When Jack Reacher, played by Alan Ritchson, climbs into and out of the rough waters hitting up against the coastal mansion, the series’ hero was actually in the Centennial Pool surrounded by green screen, stunt doubles and camera operators. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for green screen

• agin
• alkene
• allene
• ameen
• amin
• amine
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between