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

Imagine me at lunch or dinner breaks on that movie, sitting between the two of them—Peyton and Bradley—knowing little to nothing about football. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

The third movie in the franchise reunites Fisher with the rest of the original Four Horsemen — Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco — as well as Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman, and introduces new cast members Rosamund Pike, Ariana Greenblatt, Dominic Sessa, and Justice Smith. —Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025

This season, what’s your go-to holiday song to play, dish to cook, and Christmas movie to watch? —Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 7 Nov. 2025

And that’s really what that movie was for all of us. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 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