cinema

noun cin·e·ma \ ˈsi-nə-mə , British also -ˌmä \

Definition of cinema

1 a :motion picture —usually used attributively

b :a motion-picture theater

2 a :movies; especially :the film industry

b :the art or technique of making motion pictures

See cinema defined for English-language learners

See cinema defined for kids

Examples of cinema in a Sentence

a student of French cinema
We drove by the cinema to see what was playing.

Recent Examples of cinema from the Web

Mexican cinema is one of the best regarded in the world.

— john wilkens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Dispatches from slain journalist tell stories of ordinary people caught up in Mexico's drug war," 13 Aug. 2017
Dave & Buster's may occupy up to 60,000 square feet on the mall's second level in the area near the cinemas.

— sheldon s. shafer, The Courier-Journal, "Mall St. Matthews food court to get major renovation," 10 Aug. 2017
The old Birmingham Police West precinct will be turned into a cinema theater.

— erin edgemon, AL.com, "Birmingham issues: Mayoral candidates on Ensley revitalization, public safety complex plans," 8 Aug. 2017
As reported by UK newspaper The Sun, Adele hosted the screening at Whiteley's cinema in London.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "Adele Hosted a Private Movie Screening for Grenfell Tower Fire Survivors," 7 Aug. 2017
Break out your best cape and mask, because Into the Film’s take on The Phantom of the Opera will transport you straight to the Belle Époque Into the Film is a new pop-up cinema that goes way beyond screening movies.

— juliet bennett rylah, Los Angeles Magazine, "This New Immersive Experience Puts You in the Movie You’re About to Watch," 31 July 2017
Whether in its original or extended editions, Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 Vietnam War saga is one of the great, haunting epics of 1970s American cinema.

— nick schager, Esquire, "Here Are the Must-Stream Movies of August 2017," 28 July 2017
But beneath the surface, The Fifth Element is a highly underrated piece of subversive Hollywood cinema.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "How The Fifth Element Subverted Sci-Fi Movies," 19 July 2017
For a bit of nostalgia, head to the Greenville Drive-In, an outdoor cinema that has been a social fixture in the community since 1959.

— sylvie morgan brown, Bon Appetit, "A Weekender's Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Shopping in the Hudson Valley," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cinema.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cinema

short for cinematograph

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1909

See Words from the same year

cinema Synonyms

Synonyms

big screen, movie, film, filmdom, filmland, filmmaking, moviemaking, pictures, screen, silver screen

Related Words

Bollywood, Hollywood; showbiz, show business

CINEMA Defined for English Language Learners

cinema

noun

Definition of cinema for English Language Learners

: the film industry
: the art or technique of making movies
: a movie theater

CINEMA Defined for Kids

cinema

noun cin·e·ma \ ˈsi-nə-mə \

Definition of cinema for Students

1 :a movie theater

What's playing at the cinema?

2 :the movie industry

She had a long career in the cinema.

Learn More about cinema

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cinema Spanish Central: Translation of cinema Nglish: Translation of cinema for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cinema for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cinema

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cinema

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cinema

Definition of cinema for English Language Learners

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cinema

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