movie

noun

mov·​ie ˈmü-vē 

1

: a recording of moving images that tells a story and that people watch on a screen or television : motion picture

watched a movie after dinner

a movie about the Civil War

an action movie

2

movies plural : a showing of a motion picture especially in a theater

went to the movies last Friday

also : a theater that shows movies

What's playing at the movies?

3

movies plural : the business of making movies : the motion-picture medium or industry

Synonyms

• film
• flick
• flicker
• motion picture
• moving picture
• picture

Examples of movie in a Sentence

He wants to work in the movies.

a career in the movies

Recent Examples on the Web

On September 6, the 55-year-old actor wore what could only be described as a revenge dress to the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of her new film Unstoppable—a movie produced by her ex-husband's company, Artists Equity. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 7 Sep. 2024

Simultaneously, her 2018 National Book Award-winning work The Friend is now a movie starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, directed by the duo Scott McGehee and David Siegel. —Esther Zuckerman, TIME, 7 Sep. 2024

Western starring Brad Pitt and what might just be the most classic baseball movie ever made. —Travis Bean, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024

The new movie focuses instead on three generations of Deetz women: Delia (Catherine O’Hara), Lydia (Winona Ryder) and Astrid (Jenna Ortega). —Katcy Stephan, Variety, 7 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

moving picture

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing movie

• B movie
• home movie
• movie house

Kids Definition

movie

noun

mov·​ie ˈmü-vē 

1

: motion picture sense 1

2

a

: a story represented in motion pictures

b

pl : a showing of a movie

went to the movies yesterday

3

plural : the business of making movies : the motion-picture industry