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

The sprawling saga introduces many of the foundational tenets of Hindu spirituality and the storytelling principles that continue to inform all of Bollywood cinema. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026

From her very first screen appearance in King Kong (1976) to unforgettable turns in films like All That Jazz (1979), Tootsie (1982), Cape Fear (1991), Blue Sky (1994), and Big Fish (2003), Lange has become one of American cinema’s great treasures. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2026

She is joined by producers Myriam Sassine (Costa Brava Lebanon), Dana Bunescu (The Death of Mr Lazarescu) and Dominique Welinski, founder of the world cinema focused Next Steps Studio taking place within the framework of Cannes Critics’ Week. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026

The film went on to forge a lasting link between the country’s landscapes and mainstream Indian cinema. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Oct. 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