film

noun, often attributive

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\ ˈfilm

, Southern also ˈfi(ə)m\

plural films

Definition of film

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a thin skin or membranous covering : pellicle

b : an abnormal growth on or in the eye

2 : a thin covering or coating a film of ice

3a : an exceedingly thin layer : lamina

b(1) : a thin flexible transparent sheet (as of plastic) used especially as a wrapping

(2) : a thin sheet of cellulose acetate or nitrocellulose coated with a radiation-sensitive emulsion for taking photographs

4a : movie, motion picture an award-winning film film critics The film will start in ten minutes.

b : the process, art, or business of making movies a career in film She studied film in college.

film

verb

filmed; filming; films

Definition of film (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to cover with or as if with a film

2 : to make a motion picture of or from film a scene

intransitive verb

1 : to become covered or obscured with or as if with a film

2 : to make a motion picture

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Examples of film in a Sentence

Noun Have you bought any film for the camera? We haven't had the film developed yet. He's interested in making films about war. We'll start the film at 10:00. He studied film in college. the protective film over a shark's eye A film of ice covered the sidewalk. Verb Television news crew members came to film the interview. She filmed the children playing.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Getting his start in theater, appearing next to Sir Kenneth Branagh in The Entertainer, he’s also starred in adventure films and period dramas. — Rachel Yang, EW.com, "Everything you need to know about The Little Mermaid's Prince Eric, Jonah Hauer-King (yes, he can sing)," 13 Nov. 2019 Some of Kahlil Joseph’s short films and videos — including work starring Flying Lotus, Kendrick Lamar and Alice Smith — will be shown on Jan. 18, 2020, in the Aetna Theater at the museum. — Susan Dunne, courant.com, "‘BLKNWS’ video installation at Atheneum presents an affirming view of black Americans," 13 Nov. 2019 While Disney+ debuts today with a healthy slew of classic films and new series, its biggest day-one draw has to be Star Wars' first live-action TV series, The Mandalorian. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "The Mandalorian’s first episode is a no-brainer reason to pay for Disney+," 12 Nov. 2019 The resulting scene is a creative manipulation of unused footage from that film and reshooting Ridley’s part of the sequence. — Chloe Malle, Marie Claire, "The Rise of Daisy Ridley," 12 Nov. 2019 The 77th annual Golden Globe Awards, which honor achievements in film and television, will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 5 and aired live on NBC. — BostonGlobe.com, "LOS ANGELES (AP) — Look out Hollywood, Ricky Gervais is returning to host the Golden Globe Awards.," 12 Nov. 2019 Hulu is another streaming giant offering its own original shows and movies in addition to shows and films from outside companies. — Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, "2019 Streaming Guide: Should You Sign-Up for Disney+?," 12 Nov. 2019 Stuntmen and racing drivers Derek Hill and Alex Gurney did work for the film and have personal connections – their fathers won at Le Mans. — CBS News, ""Ford v Ferrari" looks at a racing rivalry that "transcends sport"," 9 Nov. 2019 As ever, this film and many like it, is proudly Nigerian. — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "What Makes a Movie ‘Foreign’ Enough for the Oscars?," 9 Nov. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb While filming Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Bonham Carter is said to have begun a romance with Branagh, who was married at the time to actress Emma Thompson. — Adam Rathe, Town & Country, "Royal Rebel: Helena Bonham Carter on The Crown and Playing Princess Margaret," 12 Nov. 2019 The adorable couple first met while filming The Place Beyond the Pines, and later collaborated on Gosling's directorial debut, Lost River. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Eva Mendes on Working with Ryan Gosling Again Now that She's a Mom," 10 Nov. 2019 Enemies were crucified, burned alive, drowned in cages, beheaded with slow saws, while everything was filmed and posted online for the world to observe and dread. — The Economist, "Obituary: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died on October 26th," 2 Nov. 2019 Season one of the show is filmed entirely in California, but Wake Webster dreams of a season two budget large enough to shoot some scenes on location in Kentucky if the show is renewed by NBC. — Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, "NBC's 'Perfect Harmony' embraces its Kentucky roots, UK basketball jokes and all," 28 Oct. 2019 Some scenes were also filmed at Big City Tavern on Las Olas Boulevard. — Johnny Diaz, sun-sentinel.com, "Buying vowels, solving puzzles: ‘Wheel of Fortune’ auditions coming to South Florida," 18 Oct. 2019 While the pilot filmed a few days in the Rose City, the series is shooting in Los Angeles. — oregonlive, "ABC’s ‘Stumptown’ is still pretty good, even if the Oregon details feel like an afterthought," 17 Oct. 2019 Now take a look at him (and Adam's crazy hairdo) in 2014, while the show's sixth season was being filmed. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "Does Usher Age? His Appearance on 'The Voice' Has Fans Convinced He's Getting Younger," 15 Oct. 2019 Rape is a rare piece from the late 1960s and early ’70s in which a woman serves as an aggressor (even though Ono wasn’t present for filming, the scenario was hers and the cameras followed her instructions). — Jillian Steinhauer, The New Republic, "The Art of the Unspeakable," 15 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'film.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near film

Statistics for film

Last Updated

16 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for film

The first known use of film was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for film

film

noun

English Language Learners Definition of film

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a special material that is used for taking photographs

: the process, art, or business of making movies

: a thin layer on or over the surface of something

film

verb

English Language Learners Definition of film (Entry 2 of 2)

: to make a movie of (something) : to photograph (an event, scene, etc.) with a movie or video camera

: to make a movie

See the full definition for film in the English Language Learners Dictionary

film

noun

\ ˈfilm

Kids Definition of film

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a roll of material prepared for taking pictures

2 : movie sense 1

3 : a thin coating or layer

film

verb

filmed; filming

Kids Definition of film (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to make a movie

2 : to photograph on a film

film

noun

\ ˈfilm

Medical Definition of film

1a : a thin skin or membranous covering : pellicle

b : an abnormal growth on or in the eye

2a : an exceedingly thin layer : lamina

b : a thin flexible transparent sheet of cellulose acetate or cellulose nitrate coated with a radiation-sensitive emulsion for taking photographs or making radiographs

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