movie
movie — noun
1. a recorded story with moving pictures and sound that people watch for entertainm
a recorded story with moving pictures and sound that people watch for entertainment, usually at a theater, on television, or on a computer or phone
Inês and her best friend went to watch a science-fiction movie at the Grand Theater.
watch a movie — common verb collocation
Ayana cried during the final scene of the movie because the ending was so sad.
during the movie — prepositional phrase
This historical movie about the Japanese samurai lasts nearly three hours.
Jiro downloaded a comedy movie to watch on the train during his trip to Kyoto.
- film
the standard term in British English; slightly more formal or artistic in tone in American English
- motion picture
formal term, used in legal or academic contexts
- picture
old-fashioned or very informal; common in mid-20th-century American English
文法句型
movie + about + topic
watch / see + movie
movie + set in + place
用法筆記
In American English, 'movie' is the everyday word for a film; British English more often uses 'film' in formal and informal contexts alike.
常見錯誤
2. a place with a large screen where films are shown to the public; a cinema or mov
a place with a large screen where films are shown to the public; a cinema or movie theater
The movie on Oak Street only shows independent films from Asia and Europe.
the movie [building] as the subject
Romi invited Michael to go to the movies after work on Friday.
go to the movies — fixed phrase
Our local movie has a small cafe where you can buy coffee before the show.
The new movie on Main Street has six screens and shows popular films every evening.
- cinema
the standard term in British English; also used in formal American English
- movie theater
common American term for a single screen venue, slightly more specific than 'movie'
- multiplex
a large cinema with many screens
文法句型
go to the movies
the movie + shows + film
用法筆記
This sense nearly always appears with the definite article: 'the movies' for the cinema as a general idea, or 'the movie' for a specific building. In British English, 'cinema' is the usual word for this meaning.
常見錯誤
3. the business or art of producing films as a form of entertainment, seen as a who
the business or art of producing films as a form of entertainment, seen as a whole industry
Ravindra has worked in the movie for fifteen years as a sound engineer.
work in the movie [industry]
The movie is a difficult business, and many new directors fail to find funding.
Streaming services have completely changed the movie over the past ten years.
Wei entered the movie right after college and now produces documentaries for a major studio.
- film industry
more formal and internationally used term for the business of filmmaking
- cinema
used in British English to mean the film industry as an art form (e.g., 'French cinema')
文法句型
the movie + industry / business
work in the movie
用法筆記
Always used with 'the': 'the movie' refers to the film industry as a collective concept, not a specific company or workplace. This is an American usage; British English uses 'the film industry' or simply 'cinema'.