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

An erotic thriller that captures the dying charm of Thailand’s stand-alone cinemas which also serve as cruising sites for closeted gay men. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026

Bollywood star Rani Mukerji has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Australia’s La Trobe University for three decades of work in Indian cinema and her contributions off screen, the university said. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026

In both the Midnight Screenings and Kinoscope, there are a lot of new voices in cinema, a lot of genre-bending stuff. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026

The condo has 22-foot ceilings, a private cinema, gym, multiple kitchens, yoga decks and a rooftop with a 65-foot swimming pool and Jacuzzi. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 14 Aug. 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