movie

noun

mov·​ie ˈmü-vē 

plural movies

1

: a recording of moving images that tells a story and that people watch (as in a theater or on the screen of a television or mobile device) : motion picture sense 2a

watched a movie after dinner

a movie about the Civil War

an action movie

especially : a feature-length film shown in a movie theater

2

the movies : a showing of a motion picture especially in a theater

went to the movies last Friday

also : a theater that shows movies

What's playing at the movies?

3

the movies : the business of making movies : the medium or industry of film

Synonyms of movie

• film
• documentary

Examples of movie in a Sentence

He wants to work in the movies.

a career in the movies

Recent Examples on the Web

Boseman is best known for starring as the Marvel superhero Black Panther in the character's 2018 solo movie and various Avengers films. —Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025

Erivo posted a collection of behind-the-scenes images from her time shooting the two-part movie musical, including photos of her walking down the yellow brick road, posing with all of her costars, and soaring through the air on a broom. —Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Nov. 2025

In my other movies, there was always an artist in the background. —Lise Pedersen, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025

The latest Wicked movies ratchet this iconography up even higher. —Time, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

moving picture

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing movie

• B movie
• home movie
• movie house

Rhymes for movie

• groovy

Kids Definition

movie

noun

mov·​ie ˈmü-vē 

1

: motion picture sense 1

2

a

: a story represented in motion pictures

b

pl : a showing of a movie

went to the movies yesterday

3

plural : the business of making movies : the motion-picture industry