cinema

noun

cin·​e·​ma ˈsi-nə-mə How to pronounce cinema (audio)
British also -ˌmä
Synonyms of cinemanext
1
: movie sense 1
—often used before another noun
cinema enthusiasts
2
: a movie theater
go to the cinema
3
: the art, technique, or business of making movies : the motion-picture medium or industry

Synonyms of cinema

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Examples of cinema in a Sentence

a student of French cinema We drove by the cinema to see what was playing.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This month Regal cinemas are re-running James Bond classics as the wait for a new 007 actor continues. — Luka Ladan, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026 This evening, the 2026 Academy Museum Gala—a fundraiser to support the museum’s work in preserving and celebrating cinema—was heavy on the star power. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2026 In my disturbance—whether witnessed by a fellow cinema patron or a reader of this essay—I am exposed a second time. — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 For over 20 years, Erika Lust has been fighting against those preconceptions, creating adult content that expands the parameters of pornography while approaching it as something akin to mainstream independent cinema. — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cinema

Word History

Etymology

short for cinematograph

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cinema was in 1909

Phrases Containing cinema

Rhymes for cinema

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Browse Nearby Words

cinefluorographic
cinema
cinemagoer
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Cite this Entry

“Cinema.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinema. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cinema

noun
cin·​e·​ma ˈsin-ə-mə How to pronounce cinema (audio)
1
a
: movie sense 2a
a cinema director
b
: a theater for showing movies
went to the cinema
2
a
: the business of making movies
worked in cinema
b
: the art or technique of making movies
a student of French cinema
cinematic
ˌsin-ə-ˈmat-ik
adjective
cinematically
-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb
Etymology

derived from French cinématographe "motion picture," from Greek kinēma "movement" and graphe "picture," from kinein "to move" — related to kinetic

More from Merriam-Webster on cinema

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cinema

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