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

His songs have become part of the American soundtrack, turning up in movies, television, commercials and countless high school graduation videos. — Jamie Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026

Op-Fortitude and Simon Afram, the financier and filmmaker who paid $45 million to get the movie made, think Netflix failed to take basic security measures to prevent the unencrypted drive from being stolen. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

Jeremy Latcham, who executive produced the early Avengers movies for Marvel before breaking out on his own in 2017, is producing the project. — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026

The actor used his newfound clout to make 2006’s Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, a movie based on his comedic two-man rock outfit with Kyle Gass. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026

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