cinema

[sin-uh-muh]

noun

1. movies collectively, as an art.

   During the Great Depression, cinema provided psychological comfort, an escape from the harsh realities of daily life.

2. Chiefly British.,  Also kinema movie theater.

   Do you know if there is a cinema near the British Museum?

cinema

/ ˈsɪnɪmə, ˌsɪnɪˈmætɪk /

noun

1. 1. a place designed for the exhibition of films

   2. ( as modifier )

      a cinema seat

2. 1. the art or business of making films

   2. films collectively

Other Word Forms

• cinematic adjective
• cinematically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of cinema¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; short for cinematograph

Word History and Origins

Origin of cinema¹

C19 (earlier spelling kinema ): shortened from _{cinematograph}

Example Sentences

“I think it still sets the tone for the cultural conversation in cinema,” said Levack.

From Los Angeles Times

“The cinema in those early days was my only source of style,” Armani recalled.

From Los Angeles Times

But on opening night at least, the crowd was treating the cinema like a concert.

From Los Angeles Times

He praised Russian cinema and hinted at wanting to shoot a film in the country.

From Los Angeles Times

To its creators, the building’s most lasting legacy may be how it draws people into a campus that also boasts shops, galleries, artist studios, restaurants, museums, a cinema and Liberty Public Market food hall.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• film 
• movie house www.thesaurus.com
• movie theater