aspect ratio

n. The relationship between the height and width of a rectangle, typically expressed as a quotient.

Notes

Aspect ratio is used to describe motion picture and television formats. In cinematography the standard Academy ratio is 1:1.33, with widescreen ratios typically ranging between 1:1.5 and 1:1.8, although the ratio may be as high as 1:2.5. The NTSC television standard uses a 4:3 aspect ratio; HDTV uses a 16:9 aspect ratio.