movie

noun

mov·​ie ˈmü-vē 

plural movies

1

: a recording of moving images that tells a story and that people watch (as in a theater or on the screen of a television or mobile device) : motion picture sense 2a

watched a movie after dinner

a movie about the Civil War

an action movie

especially : a feature-length film shown in a movie theater

2

the movies : 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

the movies : the business of making movies : the medium or industry of film

Synonyms of movie

• film
• documentary

Examples of movie in a Sentence

He wants to work in the movies.

a career in the movies

Recent Examples on the Web

Alan Ritchson, star of Reacher, has been coming after those named in the Epstein files during the press cycle for his new movie Motor City. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 July 2026

As interest in the film continued to grow, Dennis became determined to untangle the complicated rights, and some detective work led him to discover that the movie was now owned by Amazon/MGM. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 24 July 2026

Today’s trivia deals in duos, across three media—music, books, and movies. — Drew Goins, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026

Of course, Glassman continues with movie and TV work, with recent credits including recurring roles on The Comedians and Nobodies. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026

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

Rhymes for movie

• groovy

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