on-screen

adverb or adjective

ˈȯn-ˈskrēn 

ˈän-

variants or onscreen

1

: in a movie or a television program

But the makers of the 1958 movie understood that this most subtle of writers was telling a tale about the froth of life, and they celebrated it on-screen with gusto.

—Gerald Asher

The sixth-grader reportedly earned $1 million for starring in the upcoming My Girl, which pairs him with Anna Chlumsky for his first onscreen kiss.

—Alexander Tresniowski

2

: on a computer or television screen

You can watch a football game, see a small icon onscreen offering player statistics, click it with the remote, and view the stats.

—Edward W. Desmond

… handheld joysticks and gamepads that jolt and jar with the on-screen action.

—Leigh Gallagher

Examples of on-screen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This was not a B-movie—money and care were spent, and that money and care are visible on-screen. —Eric Berger & Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 31 May 2026

Between explosive chase scenes and sword-fighting, Teela's inner sensitivity and pain are exposed most in her relationship with her on-screen father, Duncan, played by Idris Elba, who previously served as the captain of the Royal Guard before going down a darker path. —Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 30 May 2026

Zendaya and her longtime stylist Law Roach have been candid about her intentional styling, whether on-screen or on the red carpet. —Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026

However, Johnny Cash defended him from his on-screen brother's criticism. —Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 29 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for on-screen

• agin
• alkene
• allene
• ameen
• amin
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between
• bromine