1
a
: a brown melanin-containing pigment from the ink of cuttlefishes
b
: the inky secretion of a cuttlefish
2
: a print or photograph of a brown color resembling sepia
3
: a brownish-gray to dark olive-brown color
1
: made of or done in sepia
2
: of the color sepia
Examples of sepia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Andy Andersen, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2024
Chandler—flat, sprawling, in shades of sepia—extends out behind him.
—Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 8 Dec. 2018
Lindsey Bahr, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2023
The harsh, desaturated look of Luc Montpellier’s cinematography — not quite black-and-white, not quite sepia — establishes an ambiance of persistent, disorienting unreality.
—Justin Changfilm Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for sepia 
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Noun
Ironically, our new lioness recruitment episode takes us back to Iraq (or a facsimile of Iraq, only distinguishable from the faux-Mexico of the first episode via a slight change in sepia tone saturation) but just long enough to ensure their prospective asset into the program.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2024
Chandler—flat, sprawling, in shades of sepia—extends out behind him.
—Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 8 Dec. 2018
Adjective
Polley and cinematographer Luc Montpellier shoot the story in a muted palette, not quite sepia but not quite color either, reflecting the limited world of its characters.
—Lindsey Bahr, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2023
The harsh, desaturated look of Luc Montpellier’s cinematography — not quite black-and-white, not quite sepia — establishes an ambiance of persistent, disorienting unreality.
—Justin Changfilm Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for sepia
Dictionary Entries Near sepia
Cite this Entry
“Sepia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sepia. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sepia
1 of 2 noun
se·pia
ˈsē-pē-ə 
1
: a brown pigment made from the ink of cuttlefishes
2
: a brownish gray
sepia
2 of 2 adjective
: of the color sepia
Medical Definition
sepia
noun
se·pia
ˈsē-pē-ə
1
capitalized
: a genus (the type of the family Sepiidae) of oval-bodied cephalopods that comprise the cuttlefishes and have a saclike organ containing a dark fluid and an internal shell mostly of calcium carbonate which has been used as an antacid and in tooth and polishing powders
2
: the inky secretion of a cuttlefish or a brown pigment from it
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