movie

noun

mov·​ie ˈmü-vē 

1

: a recording of moving images that tells a story and that people watch on a screen or television : motion picture

watched a movie after dinner

a movie about the Civil War

an action movie

2

movies plural : 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

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

Synonyms

• 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

The film’s 4K restoration will then roll out to theaters throughout October, and a 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the original movie soundtrack will be reissued on 180g red-in-gold vinyl on October 10. —John Archer, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025

That movie, having surpassed $400 million at the global box office, helped revive Smith’s standing as an in-demand film star following the Oscars fallout. —Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2025

Hulu offers tons of non-original television shows and movies, and produces original content. —Caroline Blair, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025

His second movie bombed, and that led him back to journalism, and eventually to this work. —Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 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