movie

American  

[moo-vee] / ˈmu vi /

noun

1. a sequence of consecutive still images recorded in a series to be viewed on a screen in such rapid succession as to give the illusion of natural movement; motion picture.

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

3. movies,

   1. Usually the movies the movie industry.

      The movies use MPA ratings to inform patrons about content that may not be suitable for certain audiences.

   2. all movies as a group, or a specific category of movies, considered as a genre.

      gangster movies.

   3. the exhibition of movies.

      an evening at the movies.

   4. Often the movies a movie theater.

      Is there anything good playing at the movies on Main Street?

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movie British  

/ ˈmuːvɪ /

noun

1. 1. an informal word for film

   2. ( as modifier )

      movie ticket

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Etymology

Origin of movie

First recorded in 1905–10; mov(ing picture) + -ie

Explanation

A movie is a film that you watch at a theater or at home on your TV, laptop, or tablet. Movie is short for "moving picture," which was pretty exciting in the late 1800s. You can rave about your favorite movie — whether it's "Citizen Kane" or "The Lion King" — and you can also talk about "the movies," or films in general and the industry that makes them. You might dream of working in the movies, for example. Before about 1912, movies were called "motion pictures." Movie is a shortened form of the phrase, which some people abbreviate into the more old-fashioned sounding "pictures."

Example Sentences

Director Nolan was also out and about, including making a visit to a small cinema in Elgin where he watched F1 The Movie starring Brad Pitt.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

F1 the Movie, as it was known, ended up grossing over $630 million at the box office.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

“Phineas and Ferb,” “The Simpsons Movie 2” and an untitled DreamWorks movie are the first animated feature films to receive a California tax credit under the state’s updated incentive program.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Movie theater owners huddled in Las Vegas on Monday for their annual meeting, buoyed by optimism over the year's strong start at the box office.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

The movie Malcolm X, which was originally contracted as X: The Movie, shows him learning how to read the dictionary as if he didn’t already know how.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

• cinema
• feature
• film
• flick
• motion picture
• picture
• show
• videotape