A movie is a story told through moving pictures and sound, usually shown on a screen in a cinema or on a device. It can be fictional or based on real events.
Short for *moving pictures* or *moving picture show*, popularized in early 20th‑century American English. The word *movie* originally referred to the medium itself and then to individual films.
“Movie” is literally just “moving thing”—moving pictures compared to still photographs. Early audiences were amazed not by special effects, but simply by seeing motion captured and replayed. The casual nickname “movies” beat out more formal terms like “cinematograph” because people liked the short, friendly word.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.