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)

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)

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

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

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

Film student Alice Garland is a fan of the noir aesthetic, and she feels the option is a "great way" to bring in newer audiences.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

After working on the short film "Mad Bills to Pay", which won an award at the Sundance Film Festival, 35-year-old Rufai Ajala also changed direction and is now training to become a plumber.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

The Cannes Film Festival is an amalgamation of the super-rich, working-class filmmakers and those with a dollar and a dream who come from all over the world.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

Higgsfield AI is debuting “Hell Grind,” a 95-minute, fully AI-generated movie, at the Cannes Film Festival to showcase its technology.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

Film songs blared from amplifiers strung through trees.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

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