cinema

noun

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Back then, Hindi cinema knew no better and banked majorly on the optics, avoiding the focus on better writing. Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025 Each one comes with 24-hour butler service, a private kitchen, a living room with an in-home cinema, outdoor dining space, and a 602-square-foot swimming pool. Julie Olum, Travel + Leisure, 29 June 2025 Following her major cinema breakthrough in the 1998 film Taxi, Cotillard won her first of two César Awards (France's equivalent to the Oscars) for the 2004 drama A Very Long Engagement. EW.com, 27 June 2025 The event cinema company helps indie helmers self-distribute their films. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for cinema

Word History

Etymology

short for cinematograph

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cinema was in 1909

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Cite this Entry

“Cinema.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinema. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

cinema

noun
cin·​e·​ma ˈsin-ə-mə How to pronounce cinema (audio)
1
a
: movie sense 2a
a cinema director
b
: a theater for showing movies
went to the cinema
2
a
: the business of making movies
worked in cinema
b
: the art or technique of making movies
a student of French cinema
cinematic
ˌsin-ə-ˈmat-ik
adjective
cinematically
-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb
Etymology

derived from French cinématographe "motion picture," from Greek kinēma "movement" and graphe "picture," from kinein "to move" — related to kinetic

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