cinema

noun

ˈsi-nə-mə How to pronounce cinema (audio)
Definition of cinemanext
1
as in film
the art or business of making a movie felt that the cinema was one of the most challenging and fulfilling forms of artistic expression

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in theater
a building or part of a building where movies are shown got a job cleaning the cinemas at the multiplex

Synonyms & Similar 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 cinema Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus are back as Junior Boys for a new album, The Gore, which merges themes of grief and nostalgia with the influence of horror cinema. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2026 Outside of work, her obsessions include the cinema, karaoke, overpriced small plates restaurants and in true London fashion, the pub. — Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026 Kelson says residents of the suburban neighborhood were afraid the cinema would attract too much traffic and disrupt local life. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2026 Patton Oswalt, a devoted Carpenter fan and a champion of editors, returns to host the evening’s festivities and help toast one of cinema’s true originals. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cinema
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cinema
  1. film
  2. theater
  3. filmmaking
  4. playhouse
  5. movie
Noun
  • The film itself is non-linear and does not have a voiceover, both of which were unusual choices for the time.
    — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The actor’s more recent film credits include Tim Burton’s 2019 Dumbo remake and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024).
    — Kelly Martinez, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of film
Noun
  • India’s ambassador to Indonesia, Sandeep Chakravorty, said the Ramayana and the Mahabharata had been part of Indonesian temple culture, wayang (traditional puppet theater) and the popular imagination for over a millennium.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
  • And the theater where Penélope Cruz’s Nené performs cabaret for the Nationalist troops was a dilapidated cinema that had been closed since the 1950s.
    — Elaina Patton, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of theater
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
Noun
  • London had been ravaged by plague since the summer of 1592, with high mortality rates in the city and suburbs meaning the playhouses were closed for business for twenty of the following twenty-two months.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Russell adds a 30 Rock–esque backstage frame in which an assistant stage manager (Twiggy, looking divine) is thrust into the spotlight when the star of her regional playhouse’s production of The Boy Friend is nowhere to be found.
    — Juan A. Ramírez, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of playhouse
Noun
  • In a generation of heartbreakers, Ne-Yo became a living embodiment of the movie What Women Want.
    — Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 25 Oct. 2026
  • However, this movie carries a hefty $100 million price tag (stop-motion animation is labor-intensive and takes years to produce) and likely won’t turn a theatrical profit.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of movie

Browse Nearby Words

cinctures
cinema
cinemas
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Cite this Entry

“Cinema.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cinema. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cinema

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cinema

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