cinema

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

Updated on: 9 May 2018

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

Cannes, a feverish pageant of celebrity and cinema, is trying to both rigorously guard tradition and adapt to fast-changing times.

— jake coyle, chicagotribune.com, "Is Cannes ready to adapt to the age of #MeToo?," 6 May 2018
This is a filmmaker who cares less about horror cinema as a theme-park ride and more about mood.

— peter hartlaub, Houston Chronicle, "Film Review: Complex ‘Ghost Stories’ balances horror, intrigue and humor," 4 May 2018
Wonder what Avara would have to say about today’s cinema?

— chris kaltenbach, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland Film Festival's 12 must-see movies," 2 May 2018
Still at the top of his game, Assayas is unmatched in current cinema by his ability to create subtle films with finely detailed characters, warts and all.

— g. allen johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, "Olivier Assayas’ great 1994 film ‘Cold Water’ finally gets a U.S. release," 2 May 2018
Director Guy Maddin has been making Canadian cinema excitingly weird for several decades now.

— patrick friel, Chicago Reader, "Film / Foreign / On Video / Small Screen The weird world of Guy Maddin," 1 May 2018
At Chadstone, a mall near Melbourne that is run by Vicinity Centres and bills itself as the largest shopping center in the country, a Legoland Discovery Centre opened last year that includes two indoor rides and a 4-D cinema.

— mike cherney, WSJ, "Australia’s Mall Owners Gird Themselves for Battle With Amazon," 1 May 2018
Films with already tortuous dialogue, like The Room, get the chance to shine as terrible cinema for every other reason.

— megan farokhmanesh, The Verge, "‘No dialogue’ clips on YouTube embrace the awkwardness of real life," 29 Apr. 2018
There's a private indoor pool, for instance, as well as 10 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, an 18-seat cinema, a chef, a butler, and an expansive living room bedecked with rare art.

— lindsay silberman, Town & Country, "The Best Room At...Straffan House Dublin," 27 Apr. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

cinema Synonyms

Synonyms

big screen, film, filmmaking, motion pictures, movie, moviemaking, pictures, screen, silver screen;

Related Words

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

Definition of cinema

Examples of cinema in a Sentence

Recent Examples of cinema from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cinema

cinema Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

CINEMA Defined for English Language Learners

cinema

Definition of cinema for English Language Learners

CINEMA Defined for Kids

cinema

Definition of cinema for Students

Learn More about cinema

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