noun

film

fihlm

noun

A movie; a sequence of moving images meant to be watched as a narrative or artistic work.

"They watched a classic film at the local cinema."

"The director's latest film premiered at the festival."

A thin layer or coating of a substance.

"A film of grease covered the stovetop."

verb

To record a scene or event using a camera.

"They filmed the wedding from three different angles."

How to Use Film

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishUsually means a movie, but can also mean any thin coating or layer, or the act of recording something on camera.

UK vs US

British English favors "film" for a movie; American English more often says "movie," though "film" is understood and used for more artistic works in both.

Common pairings

feature film film a scene a film of dust

Word Forms

filmed past tense, films plural, films singular

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They watched a classic _____ at the local cinema.

Etymology

From Old English filmen, meaning "thin skin" or "membrane" — the sense of a "coating" came first, and by the late 1800s it extended to the chemical coating on photographic plates, then to movies themselves.

Rhymes for film

microfilm

See all rhymes for film →