motion picture

[ moh-shuhn pik-cher ]

noun

1. Movies.
   1. a sequence of consecutive still images photographed in a series by a specially designed camera motion-picture camera and thrown on a screen by a projector motion-picture projector in such rapid succession as to give the illusion of natural movement:

      Jean Cocteau produced some of the most innovative motion pictures of the postwar era.

   2. such a video sequence recorded and played in other media formats, as VHS or digital video:

      Critics have given mixed reviews to the new trend of feature-length motion pictures shot on smartphones.

2. a story, event, or the like, presented in this form:

   The motion picture is adapted from the novel of the same name.

3. motion pictures, the art, technique, or business of producing motion pictures:

   The Academy honors achievement in motion pictures every year at the Oscars.

motion picture

noun

1. Also calledfilm
   1. a sequence of images of moving objects photographed by a camera and providing the optical illusion of continuous movement when projected onto a screen
   2. a form of entertainment, information, etc, composed of such a sequence of images and shown in a cinema, etc

Other Words From

• mo·tion-pic·ture adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of motion picture¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

SAG-AFTRA said it has filed an election petition to represent intimacy coordinators employed by companies in the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

From Los Angeles Times

Bob Beitcher, chief executive of the Motion Picture & Television Fund charity organization, was pleased when voters approved ULA, saying that the city benefits when millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share.

From Los Angeles Times

We sent out storm chasers who actually ran into the weather and shot very high-resolution motion picture footage.

From Los Angeles Times

On Thursday, the Motion Picture Assn. trade group, which lobbies on behalf of the studios, congratulated Trump and the incoming Congress on their victories.

From Los Angeles Times

Last year, to mark the 95th ceremony of handing out its gilded statuettes, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences collaborated with the gold standard of color-matching, the Pantone Color Institute, to create a signature custom color known as Oscar Gold.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cinema
• feature film
• flick
• talkie