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photoplay

American  
[foh-tuh-pley] / ˈfoʊ təˌpleɪ /

noun

  1. a motion-picture scenario; screenplay.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of photoplay

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15; photo- + play

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.

Cecil B. DeMille’s first royalty check for the printed photoplay edition of “The Ten Commandments.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026

Then called the U-Neptune, it was described as “Seattle’s newest photoplay palace and the finest suburban motion picture theater in this part of the country.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 11, 2021

The New York Dramatic Mirror said: “We cannot remember ever having seen a photoplay just exactly like it.”

From The Guardian • Nov. 2, 2015

The sum of his efforts is a curiously fascinating photoplay.

From Time Magazine Archive

The serial photoplay is exactly like the well-written and carefully edited serial story of fiction.

From Writing the Photoplay by Esenwein, J. Berg (Joseph Berg)

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