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

The people who do those movies all the time have my admiration. — Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

Spanning 8,300 square feet, the home has a movie theater, bar, and a swimming pool. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2026

This is the ideal time to visit vineyards just outside the city limits for glasses of biodynamic wine, house a schnitzel at an old-fashioned café, or catch a screening of The Third Man at the cozy Burg Kino movie theater. — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026

The theater was packed with little girls and women of all ages who had clearly seen the movie many times. — Griffin Dunne, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 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