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

Its arrival signals the return of the Loch Haven Park museum’s big-screen presentations plus planetarium shows and laser-light shows. —Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 May 2026

Wasn’t this supposed to be Lucasfilm’s new hope for a big-screen revival? —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2026

Noun

Sadly too few members partake of the opportunity to see these movies in the best possible conditions on that big screen, too often content to watch movies on the Academy’s digital screening room. —Pete Hammond, Deadline, 1 June 2026

But people flooding into common spaces to watch someone’s vision on a big screen? —Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 31 May 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
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between
• bromine

Kids Definition

big screen

noun

: the motion-picture medium as contrasted to television