cinema

American  

[sin-uh-muh] / ˈsɪn ə mə /

noun

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

• cinematic adjective
• cinematically adverb

Etymology

Origin of cinema

First recorded in 1895–1900; short for cinematograph

Example Sentences

For many filmgoers though, he was simply the best-looking cinema star in the world - once described as "a chunk of Mount Rushmore levered into stonewashed denims".

From BBC

She then left the world of cinema in 1973 for a life devoted to animal welfare, and lived for decades in Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera, at her home called La Madrague.

From BBC

Part of the explanation for the falloff in cinema revenue and admissions lies in the movies themselves.

From Los Angeles Times

The boss of cinema chain Everyman has stepped down less than three weeks after the company warned trading had been weaker than expected.

From BBC

Bardot was not only one of the defining faces of post-war cinema but also a figure whose life and legacy embodied both cultural transformation and intense controversy.

From Salon

Related Words

• film
• movie house
• movie theater