Definition

1. Noun:
   • A form of entertainment that tells a story through recorded sound and a rapid sequence of still images, creating the illusion of continuous movement. A motion picture is a work of art and entertainment, typically shown in a cinema or theater, produced by recording images with cameras or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The first motion picture was a silent film.
  • Studios invest millions of dollars to produce a major motion picture.
  • The museum has an exhibit on the history of the motion picture.

Advanced Usage

• "to be in motion pictures": to work in the film industry.
  • She has been in motion pictures for over twenty years.
• "motion picture industry": the business and artistic sector involved in making films.
  • Hollywood is the center of the American motion picture industry.

Variants and Related Words

• Film (n): a synonym for motion picture.
• Movie (n): a common, informal synonym for motion picture.
• Cinema (n): can refer to the art or industry of making motion pictures, or a theater where they are shown.
• Motion-picture (adj): used as an adjective to describe things related to films (e.g., motion-picture camera, motion-picture studio).

Synonyms

• Film
• Movie
• Picture (as in "motion picture")
• Flick (informal)

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "Motion picture" is a noun phrase and does not typically form phrasal verbs. Related actions use the verb forms of its synonyms, like "film" or "shoot.")

Related Idioms

• "Lights, camera, action!": A traditional command to begin filming a scene in a motion picture.
• "In the can": A phrase from the motion picture industry meaning a scene or film has been successfully shot and finished.

Noun

1. a form of entertainment that enacts a story by sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement
   • they went to a movie every Saturday night
   • the film was shot on location