plural movies
Synonyms of movienext
1
: a recording of moving images that tells a story and that people watch (as in a theater or on the screen of a television or mobile device) : motion picture sense 2a
watched a movie after dinner
a movie about the Civil War
an action movie
especially : a feature-length film shown in a movie theater
2
the movies : a showing of a motion picture especially in a theater
went to the movies last Friday
also : a theater that shows movies
What's playing at the movies?
3
the movies : the business of making movies : the medium or industry of film

Examples of movie in a Sentence

He wants to work in the movies. a career in the movies
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.
Another day, another millennial-nostalgia-baiting sequel to a classic late 1990s or early 2000s movie. Lauren O’Neill, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026 The law is aimed at prohibiting children from obtaining books and movies with obscene content. Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026 Parton’s film career also featured movies such as 1980’s 9 to 5, 1984’s Rhinestone, and 1992’s Straight Talk. Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026 Not to mention, few studios have purchased cinemas even after the Department of Justice rescinded the 1948 Paramount Consent Decrees, which previously disallowed studios from owning movie theater chains. Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for movie

Word History

Etymology

moving picture

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of movie was in 1909

Cite this Entry

“Movie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/movie. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
2
a
: a story represented in motion pictures
b
pl : a showing of a movie
went to the movies yesterday
3
plural : the business of making movies : the motion-picture industry

More from Merriam-Webster on movie

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!