film

American  

[film] / fɪlm /

noun

1. a thin layer or coating.

   a film of grease on a plate.

2. a thin sheet of any material.

   a film of ice.

3. a thin skin or membrane.

   The whitish film over your eye is a cataract.

4. a delicate web of filaments or fine threads.

   The fabric embedded in the polyurethane is essentially a film of fiberglass.

5. a thin haze, blur, or mist.

   A pale film of drizzly twilight soon gave way to a dense fog.

6. Photography.

   1. a composition of plastic or similar material made into thin sheets or strips and coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, used for taking photographs.

   2. a strip or roll of this.

   3. the coating of emulsion on such a sheet or strip or on a photographic plate.

7. Movies.

   1. a strip of transparent material, usually cellulose triacetate, covered with a photographic emulsion and perforated along one or both edges, intended for the recording and reproduction of images.

   2. a similar perforated strip covered with an iron oxide emulsion magfilm, intended for the recording and reproduction of both images and sound.

   3. a movie; motion picture.

      We decided to stay home and watch a Kurosawa film.

8. Sometimes films

   1. movies collectively.

      Film is the quintessential storytelling medium of the 20th century.

   2. the movie industry, or its productions, operations, etc..

      He wants to get into films as a director.

   3. movies as a genre of art or entertainment.

      experimental film.

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verb (used with object)

films, present (3rd person singular) filmed, past participle, past filming present participle

1. to cover with a film, thin skin, or pellicle.

   A bloom of algae films the pond every summer.

2. Movies.

   1. to record in video format as a movie, with or without audio.

      We didn't know we were being filmed.

   2. to make a movie of.

      to film a novel.

verb (used without object)

films, present (3rd person singular) filmed, past participle, past filming present participle

1. to become covered by a film.

   The water filmed over with ice.

   Synonyms:

   veil, cloud, haze, mist

2. Movies.

   1. to be reproduced in video format as a movie, especially in a specified manner.

      This story films easily.

   2. to direct, make, or otherwise engage in the production of movies, TV shows, or other video content.

      They'll be filming here for the next six months.

film British  

/ fɪlm /

noun

1. 1. a sequence of images of moving objects photographed by a camera and providing the optical illusion of continuous movement when projected onto a screen

   2. a form of entertainment, information, etc, composed of such a sequence of images and shown in a cinema, etc

   3. ( as modifier )

      film techniques

2. a thin flexible strip of cellulose coated with a photographic emulsion, used to make negatives and transparencies

3. a thin coating or layer

4. a thin sheet of any material, as of plastic for packaging

5. a fine haze, mist, or blur

6. a gauzy web of filaments or fine threads

7. pathol an abnormally opaque tissue, such as the cornea in some eye diseases

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verb

1. 1. to photograph with a cine camera

   2. to make a film of (a screenplay, event, etc)

2. (often foll by over) to cover or become covered or coated with a film

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• refilm
  verb (used with object)
• filmlike
  adjective
• well-filmed
  adjective
• unfilmed
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has filmed
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have filmed
  perfect
• are filming
  progressive
• am filming
  progressive 1st person singular
• is filming
  progressive 3rd person singular
• has been filming
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• films
  singular 3rd person
• have been filming
  perfect progressive
• filming
  participle

Past

• had filmed
  perfect
• were filming
  progressive plural
• was filming
  progressive singular
• filmed
  simple
• had been filming
  perfect progressive
• filmed
  participle

Future

• will film
  simple
• will have filmed
  perfect
• will have been filming
  perfect progressive
• will be filming
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of film

First recorded before 1000, in 1890–95 film for def. 6, and in 1900–05 film for def. 7; Middle English filme, Old English filmen membrane; akin to fell ⁴

Explanation

A film, also known as a "movie" or a "motion picture," is a series of moving images shown on a screen, usually with sound, that make up a story. Some people like to see new films at the theater as soon as they're released. You might pretend to be a fan of French films while secretly preferring animated films. The movie itself is a film, and you can also use the word to mean the photographic strip of plastic that runs through a camera and captures the film's images. It's also a verb, meaning to use such a camera: "Let's film a scene where you play with my cat!" The Old English root word is filmen, "membrane or thin skin."

Example Sentences

The film, whose title means "I will return", tells the story of a romance that survives nearly eight decades, inspired by real-life accounts from families affected by the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

After starting to film his section of the music video, An alleges West "couldn't remember his lines", shouted cut, and turned his attention to shooting a different scene.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

The film moves beyond the climate crisis to the increase in climate refugees, which Fox underscores by starting with Americans, including victims of the Paradise blaze, before journeying around the globe.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

But the film proceeds at its own steady pace as measured by Ms. Bravo, with a psycho-cinematic complexity that transcends any routine mystery movie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

The tiny piece of film was on its way to government code breakers in Washington, D.C.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• cinema
• flick
• footage
• motion picture
• picture
• show