film

film — noun

1. a recorded story presented as moving images with sound, intended for viewing in

1.nounA1
Definition

a recorded story presented as moving images with sound, intended for viewing in a theatre or on a personal screen.

Example

We watched a film about a young girl who travels across Japan on foot.

film about [topic]

Christopher offered to rent a comedy film for the family movie night.

Common collocations
  • action film
  • documentary film
  • horror film
  • watch a film
  • shoot a film
Synonyms
  • movie

    more common in American English; interchangeable in most contexts

  • motion picture

    formal or dated; used in awards shows and historical contexts

  • picture

    shortened form, dated in British English ('the pictures' = cinema)

Grammar Patterns

film + about + topic

a + film

Common Mistakes

I want to study a film at university.' (when meaning the industry)
I want to study film at university.
the art/industry sense does not take an article.

2. a narrow strip of light-sensitive material placed inside a camera to create and

2.nounB1
Definition

a narrow strip of light-sensitive material placed inside a camera to create and store photographic images.

Example

The photographer loaded a roll of film into her camera before the wedding.

roll of film

Even with digital cameras everywhere, Tanvi still prefers to shoot on film.

Common collocations
  • roll of film
  • colour film
  • black-and-white film
  • develop film
  • load film
Synonyms
  • film stock

    technical term for unexposed film in the motion-picture industry

  • negative

    the developed image on film, not the unused material

Grammar Patterns

roll of film

on film

Usage Note

In everyday consumer photography, digital cameras have largely replaced film; however, the term remains common among professional photographers, in historical contexts, and for analogue/darkroom techniques.

Common Mistakes

I need to buy a film for my digital camera.
I need to buy a memory card for my digital camera.
digital cameras do not use photographic film.

3. a very thin covering of a substance on a surface, often forming naturally or thr

3.nounB2
Definition

a very thin covering of a substance on a surface, often forming naturally or through use.

Example

A thin film of oil floated on top of the soup in the bowl.

thin film of [substance]

After a week away, a film of dust covered every shelf in the apartment.

Common collocations
  • thin film
  • film of dust
  • film of oil
  • film of grease
  • film of ice
Synonyms
  • layer

    broader; can describe thick or intentional coverings

  • coating

    usually implies something deliberately applied rather than formed naturally

  • membrane

    biological contexts only, not for dirt or grease

Grammar Patterns

film of [substance]

Usage Note

Often used with 'thin' to emphasise how little substance is present. The substance is typically unwanted or accidental (dust, oil, grease, ice), not an intentionally applied coating like paint.

4. the art, business, or profession of making movies, including writing, directing,

4.nounB2
Definition

the art, business, or profession of making movies, including writing, directing, producing, and distributing them.

Example

Antonia studied film at university and later became a director in Mumbai.

study film

The film industry in New Zealand grew rapidly after the early 2000s.

Common collocations
  • in film
  • study film
  • film industry
  • film school
  • film maker
Synonyms
  • cinema

    more common in British English for the art/industry (e.g. 'French cinema')

  • the movies

    informal, American, covers both the industry and the experience of going to see films

  • motion-picture industry

    formal and somewhat dated

Grammar Patterns

in film

study film

Usage Note

Used without an article: 'She works in film' (the industry), NOT 'She works in a film' (which would mean she appears in one specific movie). British English often uses 'cinema' for this sense (e.g. 'the history of French cinema').

Common Mistakes

I want a career in a film.
I want a career in film.
the industry sense is uncountable and needs no article.

5. a thin transparent plastic material used for wrapping food to keep it fresh or t

5.nounB1
Definition

a thin transparent plastic material used for wrapping food to keep it fresh or to cover containers.

Example

Abigail covered the bowl of rice with plastic film before putting it in the fridge.

plastic film / cover with film

Christopher wrapped the leftover sandwiches in film so they would not dry out.

Common collocations
  • plastic film
  • cling film
  • wrap in film
  • cover with film
Synonyms

Usage Note

In everyday British English, 'cling film' is the common term; in American English, 'plastic wrap' or 'Saran wrap' (a brand name) is used. The word 'film' alone for this sense is less common in casual speech but widely understood.

Idioms

the silver screen

idiom

a phrase referring to the film industry or to films in general, especially in a romantic or nostalgic way.

Hollywood stars of the silver screen are remembered long after their films fade from theatres.

Jin's dream was to see his name up on the silver screen one day.

on film

idiom

recorded or captured as a moving picture rather than in writing or in person.

The entire conversation was captured on film by a hidden camera.

No one expected the historic moment to be caught on film.

film — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to the moving-picture story described in sense 1, but they differ in register and region. 'Movie' is the dominant term in American English and is increasingly common worldwide for casual conversation ('Let's watch a movie tonight'). 'Film' is the default in British English and sounds slightly more formal or artistic than 'movie' even in American usage — a critic might review a 'film' while a teenager talks about a 'movie'. 'Motion picture' is formal and somewhat dated, used mostly in official contexts such as awards shows ('the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences') or historical writing. 'Cinema' can mean a specific building, but when used as an uncountable noun ('French cinema') it refers to the art form or national industry rather than an individual work. 'Flick' is informal and often carries a slightly dismissive or nostalgic tone ('an old gangster flick'). In writing, choose 'movie' for neutral American contexts, 'film' for British or formal contexts, and the others only when the specific register fits.

movie ↗motion picturecinema ↗flick ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • film critic
  • film festival
  • film director
  • film maker
  • film crew

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word 'film' comes from Old English 'filmen', meaning 'membrane' or 'thin skin'. It is related to the Old English 'fell' (skin or hide). For many centuries it kept this sense of a thin natural covering. In the 1840s it was applied to the light-sensitive coating on photographic plates, and by the 1890s it referred to the flexible celluloid strip used to record motion pictures. The sense of a movie or motion picture then followed naturally, and by the early 1900s 'film' had become the standard word for both the physical material and the finished entertainment.