cinema definition

English cinema definition

Etymology

Borrowed from French cinéma, clipping of cinématographe (term coined by the Lumière brothers in the 1890s), from Ancient Greek κίνημα (kínēma, “movement”) + γράφω (gráphō, “write, record”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪn.ə.mə/

  • audio (US)

    (file)

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪn.ɪ.mə/, /ˈsɪn.ɪ.mɑː/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

Noun

cinema (countable and uncountable, plural cinemas)

1. (countable) A movie theatre, a movie house

   Synonyms: (regional, dated) pictures, (chiefly US) movie house, movies, (chiefly US) movie theater, (rare) movie theatre

   The cinema is right across the street from the restaurant.

2. (film, uncountable) Films collectively.

   Despite the critics, he produced excellent cinema.

3. (film, uncountable) The film and movie industry.
   • 2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:

     Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.

   In the long history of Spanish cinema […] .

4. (film, uncountable) The art of making films and movies; cinematography

   Synonym: seventh art

   Throughout the history of cinema, filmmakers […] .

Related terms

• cine
• cinematic
• cinematographic
• cinematography
• kinema

Descendants

• → Hindi: सिनेमा (sinemā)
• → Telugu: సినిమా (sinimā), సైన్మ (sainma), సీన్మ (sīnma)

Translations

Anagrams

• Mencia, anemic, came in, iceman

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Catalan cinema definition

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

cinema m (plural cinemes)

1. cinema

Related terms

• cinematògraf
• cinematografia

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Italian cinema definition

Etymology

Borrowed from French cinéma, from Ancient Greek κίνημα (kínēma, “movement”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃi.ne.ma/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -inema
• Hyphenation: cì‧ne‧ma

Noun

cinema m (invariable)

1. (art and industry) cinema

   Il cinema è una lingua universale.   —Pier Paolo Pasolini

   Cinema is a universal language.

2. (movie theatre) cinema, movie theater, film theatre

   Synonyms: cinematografo, sala cinematografica

Related terms

See also

• teatro

Anagrams

• macine, minace, nemica

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Portuguese cinema definition

Etymology

Borrowed from French cinéma or a reduction of cinematógrafo, ultimately from Ancient Greek κίνημα (kínēma, “movement”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /siˈne.mɐ/
• Homophone: sinema

Noun

cinema m (plural cinemas)

1. cinema; movie theater (building where films are shown to an audience)
2. (uncountable) cinema (the art or industry of making films)

   Synonym: cinematografia

3. cinema (films from a particular place or of a particular style as a group)

Derived terms

Related terms

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Romanian cinema definition

Etymology

From French cinéma.

Noun

cinema n (plural cinemauri)

1. cinema

Declension

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Spanish cinema definition

Etymology 1

Reduction of cinematógrafo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /θiˈnema/, [θiˈne.ma]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America) /siˈnema/, [siˈne.ma]

Noun

cinema m (plural cinemas)

1. cinema; movie theater (building where films are shown to an audience)

   Synonym: cine

2. cinema (the art or industry of making films)

   Synonym: cine

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Reduction of cinemática.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /θiˈnema/, [θiˈne.ma]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America) /siˈnema/, [siˈne.ma]

Noun

cinema f (plural cinemas)

1. (physics) kinematics

   Synonym: cinemática

Adjective

cinema (invariable)

1. (physics) related to movement

   Synonym: cinemática

Further reading

• “cinema”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
• “cinema”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014