big-screen

1 of 2

adjective

ˈbig-ˌskrēn 

1

: relating to movies or to the movie industry

She worked on the novel's big-screen adaptation.

Big-screen villains that resemble America's real-world enemies are as old as the movies themselves.

—Vanity Fair

2

: having a large screen

a big-screen television

And in my experience testing big-screen phones …, it really is far more difficult to do anything on them one-handed, including typing.

—John Gruber

big screen

2 of 2

noun

: the movie medium often as contrasted to television

a story adapted for the big screen

Synonyms

Noun

• cinema
• film
• filmdom
• filmland
• filmmaking
• movie
• moviemaking
• pictures
• screen
• silver screen

Examples of big-screen in a Sentence

Noun

many actors now take roles for both television and the big screen

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Buzzi also had big-screen roles in Freaky Friday (1976), The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979), The Villain (1979) and Chu Chu and the Philly Flash (1981). —Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 2 May 2025

Chad Michael Murray asks in a new cover story interview with Entertainment Weekly, philosophically pondering the art of revving up his hunky side for his big-screen return as Jake in Freakier Friday. —Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 1 May 2025

Noun

The next iPhone may have a big screen upgrade, multiple reports have claimed. —David Phelan, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025

Zegler has starred in a smattering of movies in the last four years, beginning with her big screen debut in Steven Spielberg's 2021 adaptation of West Side Story. —Tommy McArdle, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1914, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for big-screen

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

Kids Definition

big screen

noun

: the motion-picture medium as contrasted to television