cinema

noun

cin·​e·​ma ˈsi-nə-mə How to pronounce cinema (audio)
British also -ˌmä
Synonyms of cinemanext
1
: movie sense 1
—often used before another noun
cinema enthusiasts
2
: a movie theater
go to the cinema
3
: the art, technique, or business of making movies : the motion-picture medium or industry

Synonyms of cinema

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Examples of cinema in a Sentence

a student of French cinema We drove by the cinema to see what was playing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And the theater where Penélope Cruz’s Nené performs cabaret for the Nationalist troops was a dilapidated cinema that had been closed since the 1950s. — Elaina Patton, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026 That exposure is also changing what audiences expect from Egyptian cinema. — Essie Assibu, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026 Before showing off the footage — which saw Booth working as a cinema projectionist while handling some more unsavory business on the side — Tarantino explained his decision to revisit the character in the first place. — Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2026 The three-level home includes several entertaining areas, a cocktail bar designed by Willy Rizzo in 1971, a club room, a custom kitchen, two family lounges, a games area, and a cinema. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cinema

Word History

Etymology

short for cinematograph

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cinema was in 1909

Phrases Containing cinema

Rhymes for cinema

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Browse Nearby Words

cinefluorographic
cinema
cinemagoer
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Cite this Entry

“Cinema.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinema. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cinema

noun
cin·​e·​ma ˈsin-ə-mə How to pronounce cinema (audio)
1
a
: movie sense 2a
a cinema director
b
: a theater for showing movies
went to the cinema
2
a
: the business of making movies
worked in cinema
b
: the art or technique of making movies
a student of French cinema
cinematic
ˌsin-ə-ˈmat-ik
adjective
cinematically
-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb
Etymology

derived from French cinématographe "motion picture," from Greek kinēma "movement" and graphe "picture," from kinein "to move" — related to kinetic

More from Merriam-Webster on cinema

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cinema

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