motion picture

[moh-shuhn pik-cher]

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.

motion picture

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

Other Word Forms

• motion-picture adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of motion picture¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

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.

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

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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.

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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.

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Dana Goldberg, who has worked with Ellison for nearly 15 years, will rise to co-chair of Paramount Pictures alongside Josh Greenstein, who until last week was Sony Pictures’ motion pictures president.

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Related Words

• cinema 
• feature film www.thesaurus.com
• flick 
• talkie