cinema

American  

[sin-uh-muh] / ˈsɪn ə mə /

noun

• cinemas
  plural

1. movies collectively, as an art.

   During the Great Depression, cinema provided psychological comfort, an escape from the harsh realities of daily life.

2. Chiefly British. Also kinema movie theater.

   Do you know if there is a cinema near the British Museum?

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cinema British  

/ ˈsɪnɪmə, ˌsɪnɪˈmætɪk /

noun

1. 1. a place designed for the exhibition of films

   2. ( as modifier )

      a cinema seat

2. 1. the art or business of making films

   2. films collectively

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cinematic
  adjective
• cinematically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cinemas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cinema

First recorded in 1895–1900; short for cinematograph

Explanation

A cinema is another word for a movie theater. If you love films, you probably spend a lot of time at the cinema. It's more common to say cinema in Britain than in the United States, but any English speaker will know what you're talking about if you ask, "Want to go to the cinema?" You can also use cinema to talk about the film industry and its history: "This is my favorite film in all of American cinema." The word was first used in 1899, from the French cinéma, which was a shortened form of cinématographe, "motion picture projector and camera."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cinema cinemas

But cinema is a different medium, and as such, changes must be made.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

The head of the AMC cinema chain, Adam Aron, posted on X and then deleted a message describing the couple's vows as "long, entertaining, personal, charming, emotional, irreverent and endearing."

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

“Those were movies that spoke to young people, and in Mexico there wasn’t much cinema aimed at teens,” Eimbcke tells me in Spanish on a video call from Mexico City.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

While filmed performances are usually stale, the movie has long struck me, as a professional ballet dancer who discovered “Invitation” in college, as an example of how cinema and dance can be memorably combined.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

And so now he was here, being driven through the town, past the small cinema, the supermarket, and the bank, and out into the Scottish Highlands.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

But now it has proved so popular that cinemas have added screenings of the film in response to the soaring demand.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Over the weekend, a commentary by state-owned Beijing News warned that cinemas risk "losing the trust" of viewers if they "continue to lower their standard" with additional screenings of Niu Lai.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

The couple spent their courtship sharing fun Covid-era activities, like stealing toilet paper, enjoying empty cinemas and stadiums, and taking selfies in front of dumpster fires, all to the tune of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.”

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

While packing cinemas around the world, "The Odyssey" has generated public debate and criticism.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand.

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• film
• movie house
• movie theater