on-screen

American  

[on-skreen, awn-] / ˈɒnˈskrin, ˈɔn- /

adjective

1. occurring within a motion picture or television show or in an actor's professional life.

   a raucous on-screen personality that was at odds with his quiet private life.

2. displayed on a television screen; supplied by means of television.

   an on-screen course in economics.

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adverb

1. in a motion picture or television program or in one's professional life.

   On-screen he's a villain.

Etymology

Origin of on-screen

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

“We want to participate in what Sam is creating,” Iger said on CNBC, with Altman, occupying an adjacent on-screen window, nodding in acknowledgment.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

It initially served as the on-screen star’s primary residence for many years.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

Storm Reid, who played Zendaya's on-screen sister, confirmed in 2023 that she would not be returning for the third season.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

And yet, Gellar has gotten the shaft time and again, unable to fully break free from the characters she’s known for to craft a new on-screen persona that fans can fall in love with.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

Bits of debris and shrapnel rain around them, like the little black spots that appear on-screen in old movies.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day