movie

movie — noun

1. a recorded story with moving pictures and sound that people watch for entertainm

1.nounA1
Definition

a recorded story with moving pictures and sound that people watch for entertainment, usually at a theater, on television, or on a computer or phone

Example

Inês and her best friend went to watch a science-fiction movie at the Grand Theater.

watch a movie — common verb collocation

Ayana cried during the final scene of the movie because the ending was so sad.

during the movie — prepositional phrase

Common collocations
  • watch a movie
  • see a movie
  • horror movie
  • action movie
  • romantic movie
  • movie star
  • movie theater
  • movie screen
  • movie about
Synonyms
  • film

    the standard term in British English; slightly more formal or artistic in tone in American English

  • motion picture

    formal term, used in legal or academic contexts

  • picture

    old-fashioned or very informal; common in mid-20th-century American English

Grammar Patterns

movie + about + topic

watch / see + movie

movie + set in + place

Usage Note

In American English, 'movie' is the everyday word for a film; British English more often uses 'film' in formal and informal contexts alike.

Common Mistakes

I watched a film at the cinema last night.
I watched a movie at the theater last night.
In American English, 'film' sounds more formal or artistic; 'movie' is the usual word for everyday viewing.

2. a place with a large screen where films are shown to the public; a cinema or mov

2.nounA2
Definition

a place with a large screen where films are shown to the public; a cinema or movie theater

Example

The movie on Oak Street only shows independent films from Asia and Europe.

the movie [building] as the subject

Romi invited Michael to go to the movies after work on Friday.

go to the movies — fixed phrase

Common collocations
  • go to the movies
  • at the movies
  • the movie shows
  • local movie
  • neighborhood movie
Synonyms
  • cinema

    the standard term in British English; also used in formal American English

  • movie theater

    common American term for a single screen venue, slightly more specific than 'movie'

  • multiplex

    a large cinema with many screens

Grammar Patterns

go to the movies

the movie + shows + film

Usage Note

This sense nearly always appears with the definite article: 'the movies' for the cinema as a general idea, or 'the movie' for a specific building. In British English, 'cinema' is the usual word for this meaning.

Common Mistakes

Let's go to movie.
Let's go to the movies.
The definite article 'the' is required in the fixed phrase 'go to the movies.'

3. the business or art of producing films as a form of entertainment, seen as a who

3.nounB1
Definition

the business or art of producing films as a form of entertainment, seen as a whole industry

Example

Ravindra has worked in the movie for fifteen years as a sound engineer.

work in the movie [industry]

The movie is a difficult business, and many new directors fail to find funding.

Common collocations
  • work in the movie
  • the movie business
  • the movie industry
  • change the movie
  • in the movie
Synonyms
  • film industry

    more formal and internationally used term for the business of filmmaking

  • cinema

    used in British English to mean the film industry as an art form (e.g., 'French cinema')

Grammar Patterns

the movie + industry / business

work in the movie

Usage Note

Always used with 'the': 'the movie' refers to the film industry as a collective concept, not a specific company or workplace. This is an American usage; British English uses 'the film industry' or simply 'cinema'.

Common Mistakes

She works in movie for ten years.
She has worked in the movie for ten years.
The definite article 'the' is required, and the present perfect tense is natural for an ongoing situation.

Word family

  • moviegoer
    nounC1
  • movie star
    nounA2
  • movie theater
    nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Movie' (A1, very common) is the everyday American English word for a recorded story with moving images and sound. 'Film' (A2, common) is the standard term in British English for the same thing, but in American English it carries a slightly more artistic or formal tone — one might say 'an independent film' but 'a summer movie.' 'Motion picture' (B2, less common) is the formal, legal, or academic term, appearing in phrases like 'motion picture association' or 'motion picture camera.' Use 'movie' in casual conversation and daily life; choose 'film' for reviews, criticism, or when discussing the art form; and use 'motion picture' only in formal or historical writing. For example: 'We watched a funny movie last night.' / 'The film won Best Picture at the Oscars.' / 'The history of the motion picture began in the late 19th century.'

movie ↗film ↗motion picture

Common collocations

Nouns

  • movie star
  • movie theater
  • movie screen
  • movie industry
  • movie director
  • movie review

Adverbs

  • recently released movie
  • highly anticipated movie
  • critically acclaimed movie

Phrases

  • movie of the year
  • based on a movie
  • movie and TV

Prepositions

  • in a movie
  • about a movie
  • from a movie

Etymology

English

'Movie' is a shortened form of 'moving picture,' first recorded in the early 1900s. The word began as informal American slang and gained popularity as the film industry grew. By the mid-20th century, 'movie' had become the standard everyday term in American English, while 'film' remained more common in British English. The informal clipping pattern (compare 'phone' from 'telephone', 'plane' from 'airplane') reflects the word's conversational origins.