big-screen

1 of 2

adjective

ˈbig-ˌskrēn 

1

: relating to movies or to the movie industry

She worked on the novel's big-screen adaptation.

Big-screen villains that resemble America's real-world enemies are as old as the movies themselves.

—Vanity Fair

2

: having a large screen

a big-screen television

And in my experience testing big-screen phones …, it really is far more difficult to do anything on them one-handed, including typing.

—John Gruber

big screen

2 of 2

noun

: the movie medium often as contrasted to television

a story adapted for the big screen

Synonyms of big-screen

Noun

• film
• movie
• filmmaking
• silver screen
• pictures

Examples of big-screen in a Sentence

Noun

many actors now take roles for both television and the big screen

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Her big-screen résumé also included Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963), Roustabout (1964), The Loved One (1965), Young Dillinger (1965) and Angel in My Pocket (1969). —Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026

Mann directed a big-screen version in 2006, with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as Crockett and Tubbs. —Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026

Noun

The famed Concorde Square — with its iconic Egyptian Obelisk — will again show matches on a big screen for free during the second week from June 3-7. —ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026

Ellison even worked in some self-deprecation, referencing his 2006 big screen acting debut (and shouting out our publication). —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1914, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for big-screen

• agin
• alkene
• allene
• ameen
• amin
• amine
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between

Kids Definition

big screen

noun

: the motion-picture medium as contrasted to television