motion pictures

noun

plural of motion picture
as in movies
a story told by means of a series of continuously projected pictures and a sound track a popular novel that was made into a major motion picture

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 motion pictures Several approaches to solving the Rendering Equation in the production of still and motion pictures have arisen in the intervening years. — Artforum, 28 Sep. 2026 The Costume Designers Guild includes more than 1,000 costume designers, assistant costume designers and illustrators working in motion pictures, TV, commercials, music videos and new media programs throughout the world. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026 And because major motion pictures often require years to produce, a decision postponed today can become a missing film several years from now. — Cory Jacobson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026 The film will be among the 20 titles competing at the festival, running against other major motion pictures. — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 23 July 2026 The coalition said in a news release the combined media company, if allowed to merge, would control nearly one-third of theatrical motion pictures and nearly one-third of basic cable programming. — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 13 July 2026 As a result of this connection, Powell received offers to appear in motion pictures. — Arkansas Online, 16 May 2026 They’re scanned for motion pictures, visual effects, and for video games. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 8 May 2026 Major motion pictures require literally thousands of specialists to make visions – fantastical, realistic, outlandish – come alive and be globally seen. — Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motion pictures
  1. movies
  2. moving pictures
  3. films
  4. pictures
Noun
  • The Irish production and distribution shingle, which specializes in horror and adjacent genre movies, is handling worldwide sales on the film, which recently wrapped principal photography.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Ellison has long extolled his love of movies and appeared at the CinemaCon movie theater owners convention earlier this year to reiterate his commitment to theatrical releases.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of movies
Noun
  • No combination of stilettos and old-fashioned shoe-leather can temper the fact that integrity, talent, hard work, and a dedication to treating everything from fashion to the moving pictures with seriousness is in perpetual danger of extinction.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The Polk Theatre, an ornate 1928 Italianate venue, has been screening films in Lakeland’s downtown square since before moving pictures had sound.
    — Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025
Definition of moving pictures
Noun
  • Taken together, the films deal with family, faith, memory, identity and migration, in forms that range from close-quarters drama to genre work.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • To try and push this forward, the stakeholders of the AEA are meeting with the people who helped to draft the recent bill introduced that would create a federal tax credit for films produced in the United States.
    — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of films
Noun
  • Al Hassan remembers showing a group of visitors TAMM’s feature for taking pictures and reporting potholes.
    — Inzamam Rashid, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The men appear to have developed a close relationship and often share pictures together on their socials, including posing together at the 2021 Los Angeles premiere of the Peter Jackson’s Beatles miniseries Get Back (see above).
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of pictures

Browse Nearby Words

motion picture
motion pictures
motions
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Motion pictures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motion%20pictures. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All