motion picture

noun

1
: a series of pictures projected on a screen in rapid succession with objects shown in successive positions slightly changed so as to produce the optical effect of a continuous picture in which the objects move
2
: a representation (as of a story) by means of motion pictures : movie

Examples of motion picture in a Sentence

He was given a starring role in a major motion picture. a popular novel that was made into a major motion picture
Recent Examples on the Web
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Average payrolls in the motion picture industry are still down nearly 25 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels. Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025 Putting that many cooks in one kitchen may sound like a logistical nightmare, but Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate’s motion picture group, tells Variety the collaboration was smoother than expected, despite Zoom calls packed with dozens of voices across disciplines. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 12 May 2025 Hot off the success of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Hollywood is adapting Suzanne Collins’s new Hunger Games prequel novel, Sunrise on the Reaping, into a major motion picture. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 28 Apr. 2025 The proposal would also modernize the program in several ways, including by expanding the definition of a qualified motion picture to include series with episodes averaging 20 minutes or more, animation films, series, and shorts, and large-scale competition shows. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for motion picture

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of motion picture was in 1891

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Cite this Entry

“Motion picture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motion%20picture. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

motion picture

noun
1
: a series of pictures projected on a screen rapidly one after another so as to give the appearance of a continuous picture in which the objects move
2

More from Merriam-Webster on motion picture

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