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cinema

noun
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cin·​e·​ma | \ ˈsi-nə-mə How to pronounce cinema (audio) , British also -ˌmä \

Definition of cinema

1a : motion picture —usually used attributively
b : a motion-picture theater
2a : movies especially : the film industry
b : the art or technique of making motion pictures
Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about cinema

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Examples of cinema in a Sentence

a student of French cinema We drove by the cinema to see what was playing.
Recent Examples on the Web The film will also screen for one night only in cinemas around the world, with tickets available here. — Rania Aniftos, Billboard, "A Gorillaz Documentary Concert Film Is Coming Soon: Watch the Trailer," 27 Nov. 2019 The 71-year-old art-house theater, the city’s last single-screen cinema, shut down over the summer after its previous lease expired. — Nick Turner, Fortune, "Netflix Will Keep NYC’s Paris Theatre Open," 25 Nov. 2019 To purchase tickets, consult your local cinema, or visit online ticketing sites like Fandango or Atom Tickets now. — Benjamin Vanhoose, PEOPLE.com, "Frozen 2 Opens Today! Should You Get Your Tickets Now or Wait Until the Day Of?," 22 Nov. 2019 Moses Babatope, co-founder of FilmOne Entertainment, says the Chinese collaboration will open up Nollywood to China's colossal cinema-going audience and enable them to create better quality movies. — Aisha Salaudeen And Stephanie Busari, CNN, "China and Nollywood have signed up for their first major film collaboration," 21 Nov. 2019 The movie became an unlikely sensation of black cinema, selling $10 million in tickets after reportedly being made for $100,000. — David Lindquist, Indianapolis Star, "Eddie Murphy film spotlights Indianapolis and its role in 1975 'Dolemite' movie release," 31 Oct. 2019 The ship also has what the line touts as the longest LED Dome at sea on its two-story Mediterranean-style promenade, plus a water park with four slides, suspension bridge, interactive cinema, bowling and a kids club themed to Legos. — Richard Tribou, orlandosentinel.com, "One of the world’s largest cruise ships makes Florida debut," 9 Oct. 2019 Festival & Mercado A celebration of story, song and cinema, with exhibit tours, an outdoor market with books, food, crafts and youth activities on the Barbara Bush Literacy Plaza. — Houston Chronicle, "Family Fun: Nigeria Cultural Parade & Festival; Galveston Island Shrimp Festival," 26 Sep. 2019 Actor Ben Platt poses for photographers upon arrival at the UK premiere for The Politician, at a central London cinema, Monday, Sept 16, 2019. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "For Ben Platt, a perfect pitch leads to ‘The Politician’," 26 Sep. 2019

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.

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First Known Use of cinema

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for cinema

short for cinematograph

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Time Traveler for cinema

Time Traveler

The first known use of cinema was in 1909

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Statistics for cinema

Last Updated

5 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Cinema.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinema. Accessed 10 December 2019.

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More Definitions for cinema

cinema

noun
How to pronounce cinema (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of cinema

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

See the full definition for cinema in the English Language Learners Dictionary

cinema

noun
cin·​e·​ma | \ ˈsi-nə-mə How to pronounce cinema (audio) \

Kids Definition of cinema

1 : a movie theater What's playing at the cinema?
2 : the movie industry She had a long career in the cinema.

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More from Merriam-Webster on 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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