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Film Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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film

[fɪlm ]

Definitions

Context #1 | Noun

watching movies

A movie or motion picture. A form of entertainment that tells a story through moving images and sound.

Synonyms

flick, motion picture, movie.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
film

Used in formal contexts, including discussions about the craft of filmmaking, film festivals, or academic settings.

  • The film was awarded the Best Picture at the Cannes Film Festival.
  • She is studying film at the university.
movie

General and most widely used term suitable for casual conversation. It can be used in nearly any context where one talks about films in general.

  • Let's go see a movie this weekend.
  • That was the best movie I've seen all year.
motion picture

Very formal term, often used in legal, official, or historical contexts; less commonly used in everyday conversation.

  • The legislation affects the motion picture industry.
  • The museum's exhibit includes early motion picture cameras.
flick

Informal and colloquial term often used in casual conversations or when referring to light-hearted or entertaining movies. Sometimes carries a slightly dismissive or trivializing tone.

  • Want to catch a flick tonight?
  • That new action flick was pretty fun to watch.

Examples of usage

  • Let's go to the cinema and watch a film tonight.
  • She won an award for her outstanding performance in the film.
Context #2 | Verb

recording

To record a video or movie.

Synonyms

capture, record, shoot.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
film

Use this word when you want to talk about making a movie or a video, especially when it involves more professional equipment and a larger production scale.

  • The director decided to film the movie in black and white.
  • They will film the new episode in New York City.
record

Use this word when talking about making an audio or video recording, particularly when focusing on documenting or archiving an event or sound.

  • He used a smartphone to record the lecture for his classmates.
  • The band went to the studio to record their new album.
shoot

This word is commonly used in the context of taking photos or making videos, often informally. It is associated with the action of using a camera.

  • They decided to shoot some scenes in the park.
  • We're going to shoot the promotional video this weekend.
capture

This word is used when you want to talk about taking a photo or recording a moment, often with an emphasis on preserving the emotion or essence of that moment.

  • She managed to capture the sunset perfectly in her photo.
  • The journalist tried to capture the chaos of the protest on camera.

Examples of usage

  • He filmed the entire concert on his phone.
  • The documentary crew will film in the wild for the next three months.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Origin of 'film'

The word 'film' originated in the 19th century as a shortening of 'filmstrip'. It was initially used to refer to a strip of material coated with a light-sensitive emulsion for taking photographs. Over time, it evolved to encompass the medium of moving pictures and is now commonly associated with movies and videos.

See also: filming, filmmaker, filmmaking, filmography, films.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #1,352, this word is part of core intermediate vocabulary. It appears regularly in various contexts and is essential for natural-sounding English.