motion picture

noun

1

: a series of still pictures displayed on a screen in rapid succession so as to produce the optical effect of continuous video

2

a

: a representation (as of a story) by means of motion pictures

especially : movie sense 1

starring in a major motion picture

—often used before another noun

a motion picture screen

b

: the business or industry of making movies

—usually used in plural

a bigwig in motion pictures

Synonyms of motion picture

• movie
• moving picture
• film
• documentary

Examples of motion picture in a Sentence

He was given a starring role in a major motion picture.

a popular novel that was made into a major motion picture

Recent Examples on the Web

Phil Stong’s novel State Fair was inspired by it and went on to become three motion pictures and the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical. —Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026

Phil Stong’s novel State Fair was born of this very gathering, and went on to inspire three motion pictures and the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical. —Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026

In the Court’s view, such prior restraint was acceptable because motion pictures were not organs of public opinion like newspapers but instead a business, pure and simple, and one with a capacity for evil. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026

Major motion pictures partnering with brands to promote movies is the norm now, a practice that has evolved as quickly as technology has since the iPhone was invented in 2007, which can sometimes feel like an attack on your nervous system. —Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for motion picture

• stricture

Kids Definition

motion picture

noun

1

: a series of pictures projected on a screen rapidly one after another so as to give the appearance of a continuous picture in which the objects move

2

: movie sense 2