film 1 of 2

noun

ˈfilm How to pronounce film (audio)
Definition of filmnext
1
as in movie
a story told by means of a series of continuously projected pictures and a sound track watched a film on the Hopi Indians at the multicultural center

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in filmmaking
the art or business of making a movie learned about some of the special-effects techniques used in film

Synonyms & Similar Words

film

2 of 2

verb

as in to videotape

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of film
Noun
As in the film and television business, Baldwin anticipates some consolidation in the digital space as creators compete for budgets traditionally reserved for media companies. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 4 Nov. 2026 Seehorn has appeared in several films and television series but is best known for her portrayal of Kim Wexler on Better Call Saul and starring role as Carol Sturka in Apple TV’s Pluribus, earning an Emmy award for the latter in September 2026. — Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2026
Verb
The actor refused to participate in the promotional scene and instead insisted that producers film his character leaving before the pizza appeared. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Laufer is submitting the movie to film festivals including Sundance and Berlin and will hold a private screening in Budapest to mark the 70-year anniversary of the revolution later this month. — Lucy Handley, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for film
Recent Examples of Synonyms for film
  1. movie
  2. filmmaking
  3. videotape
  4. documentary
  5. cinema
  6. image
Noun
  • Back then, in the back of the magazine, THR ran lists of movies going into production, including location shoots.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the movie takes place two years after the previous installment as Godzilla regenerates and resurfaces to combat a new monster that’s tormenting postwar Japan.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of movie
Noun
  • Mustapha rejects the idea that documentary filmmaking can ever be entirely observational, arguing that a camera inevitably changes what happens in front of it.
    — Essie Assibu, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
  • No one gave them the money to do something like this through traditional filmmaking because they weren’t established in the film industry, of course.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of filmmaking
Verb
  • To document your claim, Hicks says to walk through the entire property and photograph or videotape everything, including areas that look untouched.
    — Jamie Gold, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Varley videotaped himself keeping Preston awake and then spinning him on a playground teacup at excess speed, according to police.
    — KC Baker, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Definition of videotape
Noun
  • Styler would break into fiction feature directing in 2018 with Freak Show, an adaptation of James St James’ best-selling novel, starring Bette Midler and Alex Lawther, before returning to documentary in 2023 with Posso Entrare?
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2026
  • They were chosen by juries presided over by Sam Pollard (official competition), Amir El-Masry (first feature competition), Sandhya Suri (documentary competition), and Helen Simmons (short film competition).
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of documentary
Noun
  • This upcoming milestone 40th presentation will mark an especially meaningful moment in the American Cinematheque’s history, celebrating both the remarkable legacy of the award and the organization’s enduring contributions to cinema.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The hotel is located on one of Vienna’s most famous shopping boulevards and there are plenty of restaurants, cinemas and cafes nearby.
    — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of cinema
Verb
  • In addition to imaging the visible coronal light, the team will try to track the dispersal of superhot ions of iron into interplanetary space, which could give rare insights into the pattern of heat emanating from the corona.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2026
  • This is effective at reducing noise but has its limits, as the behavior of the telescope hardware can change over time, and the point spread function may vary with the wavelengths being imaged.
    — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of image

Browse Nearby Words

filly
film
filmdom
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Film.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/film. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on film

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about film

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of valorous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All