live-action
Americanadjective
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of or relating to movies, videos, and the like, that feature real performers, as distinguished from animation.
A new live-action version of the classic animated film will be released later this year.
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Informal. live.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of live-action
First recorded in 1955–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mainstream culture’s relatively lower esteem for the Green Lantern is absolutely related to cartoonish interpretations of his power in live-action depictions.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
The company unveiled details about Pixar’s “Coco 2” and “Incredibles 3,” both of which got huge applause from the audience, as well as a live-action “Lilo & Stitch 2.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Fifth place went to "Moana," Disney's latest live-action remake of one of its animated hits, with $5.3 million.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
After it licensed the Spider-Man film and live-action TV rights from then-struggling comic book publisher Marvel, Sony launched the modern superhero movie era with a blockbuster 2002 adaptation starring Tobey Maguire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
“LARP. It stands for live-action role-playing,” Elena explains.
From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
