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

Gelman reached mogul status as a producer during the so-called Golden Age of Mexican cinema.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Titmouse’s work, in development by a number of directors with contrasting tones, will be shown on a variety of formats, ranging from cinema screens to full-room projections.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

They are seeking an amendment to a government decree which, since 2021, has required foreign video streaming platforms to finance French audiovisual production and cinema with a slice of their revenue.

From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026

The American Dream has been sold around the world, in part, through American cinema and in many ways, Hollywood epitomises the idea of making it in America.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

“We’re gonna get you to the cinema yet.”

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

His favorite parts of the city are its repertory cinemas and lush neighborhoods like Mount Washington, where his godfather resides, because they look the most like Vancouver.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Animal Farm opens in UK cinemas on Friday 17 July.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

His policies include abolishing the House of Lords, banning the eating of noisy snacks in cinemas and scrapping VAR in football.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

The breakout success of these films has ignited debate across Hollywood about what made these movies so popular, especially among Gen Z moviegoers who haven’t been flocking to cinemas in recent years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026

In smaller cinemas a pianist or organist would provide a similarly live accompaniment; Russian classical composer Dmitri Shostakovich supported himself in Leningrad in 1924-5 by doing just that.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• film
• movie house
• movie theater