English Meaning & Definitions
A cinema or theater where films are shown to the public; also used generally to refer to the art or industry of motion pictures.
- “We are going to the movies tonight to see the new sci-fi thriller.”
- “Do you prefer watching films at home or going out to the movies?”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “the movies”.
Originating in the United States in the early 20th century, 'movie' is a clipping of 'moving picture', combining 'moving' (from the illusion of motion in cinematography) and the hypocoristic suffix '-ie'. Adding the definite article and pluralizing it ('the movies') became a common idiom in North American English to refer collectively to the cinema as both an art form and a physical venue for public film screenings.
Think of going to see things that 'move' on a big screen to remember 'the movies'.
Frequently Asked Questions About “the movies”
1. What is the meaning of “the movies” in English?
In English, the movies (noun) is defined as: “A cinema or theater where films are shown to the public; also used generally to refer to the art or industry of motion pictures.”.
2. How do you use “the movies” in a sentence?
“We are going to the movies tonight to see the new sci-fi thriller.”
3. What are English synonyms of “the movies”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “the movies”?
Originating in the United States in the early 20th century, 'movie' is a clipping of 'moving picture', combining 'moving' (from the illusion of motion in cinematography) and the hypocoristic suffix '-ie'. Adding the definite article and pluralizing it ('the movies') became a common idiom in North American English to refer collectively to the cinema as both an art form and a physical venue for public film screenings.
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