motion picture

American  

[moh-shuhn pik-cher] / ˈmoʊ ʃən ˈpɪk tʃər /

noun

1. Movies.

   1. a sequence of consecutive still images photographed in a series by a specially designed camera motion-picture camera and thrown on a screen by a projector motion-picture projector in such rapid succession as to give the illusion of natural movement.

      Jean Cocteau produced some of the most innovative motion pictures of the postwar era.

   2. such a video sequence recorded and played in other media formats, as VHS or digital video.

      Critics have given mixed reviews to the new trend of feature-length motion pictures shot on smartphones.

2. a story, event, or the like, presented in this form.

   The motion picture is adapted from the novel of the same name.

3. motion pictures, the art, technique, or business of producing motion pictures.

   The Academy honors achievement in motion pictures every year at the Oscars.

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motion picture British  

noun

1. Also called: film. 

   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

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Other Word Forms

• motion-picture adjective

Etymology

Origin of motion picture

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Early motion pictures were obsessed with movement, Wanamaker says.

From Los Angeles Times

In the 100 years since, the glamorous building style - evocative of neon-lit jazz bars and the golden age of big motion pictures - rapidly spread around the world.

From BBC

From playing Milwaukee dive bars to becoming the subjects of a major motion picture, the Sardinas have far exceeded even their own expectations.

From Los Angeles Times

As of August, about 112,000 people were employed in the Los Angeles region’s motion picture and sound recording industries — the main category for film and television production.

From Los Angeles Times

The picture about two affable bandits who have outlived their time became the highest-grossing Western in motion picture history and highlighted the duo’s near-perfect comic timing.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cinema
• feature film
• flick
• talkie