newsreel

American  

[nooz-reel, nyooz-] / ˈnuzˌril, ˈnyuz- /

noun

1. a short motion picture presenting current or recent events.

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newsreel British  

/ ˈnjuːzˌriːl /

noun

1. a short film with a commentary presenting current events

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Etymology

Origin of newsreel

First recorded in 1915–20; news + reel ¹

Explanation

A newsreel is a short, informative documentary film. In the early part of the twentieth century, newsreels were usually shown before movies in theaters. In the early 1900s, newsreels ran (often along with a cartoon) before a film. During World War Two, newsreels gave movie-goers news about the war as well as current events at home. The word dates from about 1915, from news and reel, the cylinder that film was wound around for being projected onto a screen.

Example Sentences

A Pathé newsreel, filmed when she was five years old, noted that the toddler had "surprised musical critics by her playing of Beethoven".

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Eisenstein asserted that the film “looks like a newsreel of an event, but it functions as a drama.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Burstein amply and nimbly illustrates the conversation with film clips, newsreel footage, photographs and interviews.

From Salon • Aug. 3, 2024

But we only ever see newsreel footage of one: the bonfire in the public square outside the Berlin opera house.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2024

I'll sneak a newsreel and watch the whole thing later.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton