art house

American  

[ahrt hous] / ˈɑrt ˌhaʊs /

noun

1. a movie theater specializing in the exhibition of art films.

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art house British  

noun

1. a cinema which specializes in showing films which are not part of the commercial mainstream

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adjective

1. 1. of or relating to such films or a cinema which specializes in showing them

   2. ( as modifier )

      the surprise art-house hit of the season

Etymology

Origin of art house

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

art house

He appreciates the scope of projects he’s done so far, from the massive scale of production on “House of the Dragon” to smaller art house films.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

But that’s when Les Bleus tapped into the same French patience that gave the world art house cinema, endless summer lunches, and the collected works of Marcel Proust.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Pierce Brosnan starred in 1999 art house caper The Thomas Crown Affair, which itself was a remake of a 1968 film of the same title.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

"It's been limited to coastal New York viewers through art house films," he says.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2025

This was several years before I procured a driver’s license and a Blockbuster card, which would become my entree to indie, art house and international cinema, to movies for and about adults.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2024