cinema

noun

cin·​e·​ma ˈsi-nə-mə 

British also -ˌmä

1

: movie sense 1

—often used before another noun

cinema enthusiasts

2

: a movie theater

go to the cinema

3

: the art, technique, or business of making movies : the motion-picture medium or industry

Synonyms of cinema

• film
• filmmaking
• movie

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

Legendary Asian filmmaker Peter Chan Ho-sun issued a stark warning about artificial intelligence at a Hong Kong FilMart co-production panel, predicting that the technology poses an existential threat not to art-house cinema but to the commercial blockbuster. —Marcus Lim, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026

And until today, or until years ago when digital technique came in, cinema was made of the same mechanics as the original [Cinématographe]. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026

For a project that opens new worlds of previously unheard sounds and unseen images, and that pushes the art of cinema beyond the realm of human perception. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 19 Mar. 2026

Presented in collaboration with the Tate Modern gallery in London, the exhibit features several of McCall's large-scale, immersive installations exploring the intersection of cinema, sculpture and drawing. —Josh Kelly, Oklahoman, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for cinematograph

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing cinema

• cinema verité
• go to the cinema

Rhymes for cinema

• minima

Kids Definition

cinema

noun

cin·​e·​ma ˈsin-ə-mə 

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