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

• 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

Not content to be just the big-screen god of the 1970s, the actor, director and environmental activist worked behind the scenes to make the world a little better. —Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 16 Sep. 2025

Two big-screen TVs played Fox News, and large racks filled with vintage issues of Life and Esquire lined one of the walls. —Clare Malone, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025

Noun

By the end of the decade, though, Redford began getting notices for his big screen appearances in films like Barefoot in the Park and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. —Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

As the show went on, the stand-up comedian reminded the audience members about the tally and plastered the number on a big screen. —Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 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