Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

video game

American  
[vid-ee-oh-geym] / ˈvɪd i oʊˌgeɪm /
Or videogame

noun

Digital Technology.

  1. any of various interactive games played using a specialized electronic gaming device or a computer or mobile device and a television or other display screen, along with a means to control graphic images.

  2. any of various games played using a microchip-controlled device, as an arcade machine or handheld toy.

video game British  

noun

  1. any of various games that can be played by using an electronic control to move points of light or graphical symbols on the screen of a visual display unit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of video game

First recorded in 1970–75

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.

This doctrine sounds like a made-up phrase created for a patriotic first-person-shooter video game.

From Slate • Apr. 22, 2026

And he also voiced Punch Up, a pint-sized supervillain, in last year's critically acclaimed video game Dispatch.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

"The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" -- based on Nintendo's popular video game franchise -- reigned supreme at North America's box office, stomping competitors for a second straight week, industry estimates showed Sunday.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

The first film based on the video game franchise, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” made $146.4 million in its 2023 debut.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

“That’s okay. I’m meeting Akimi and Miguel upstairs in the Electronic Learning Center. Mr. Lemoncello just installed a new educational video game: Charlemagne’s Chivalry. I think it’s about the Knights of the Round Table.”

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.