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

As much as cinephiles look back at French and other European cinemas of past decades from the perspective of great films, the reality is what boosted art theaters and distributors in the late 1950s was the greater freedom in subject matters that European films provided. —Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 28 Dec. 2025

Considered a true icon of French cinema, Bardot leaves behind a legacy of more than 40 films. —María Munsuri, Glamour, 28 Dec. 2025

Her allure extended far beyond French cinema. —Ingrid Melander, USA Today, 28 Dec. 2025

Eventually, her photos attracted interest from film directors, and before long Bardot was thrust into the French cinema scene. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Dec. 2025

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