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

Noun

• cinema
• film
• filmdom
• filmland
• filmmaking
• movie
• moviemaking
• pictures
• screen
• silver screen

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

Last year, Powell starred in Universal’s big-screen hit Twisters and Richard Linklater’s Netflix film Hit Man, with Powell also producing and co-writing the latter. —Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2025

Perabo first broke out as the star of the 2000 movie Coyote Ugly, and later appeared in the big-screen remake of Cheaper by the Dozen and its sequel. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 17 Apr. 2025

Noun

The basics are nailed, with a big screen, good performance, plenty of stamina, and a solid camera. —Simon Hill, Wired News, 27 Mar. 2025

The song is instantly picked up by a group of 50 or so customers, gathered in front of the establishment’s big screen. —Rory Smith, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

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