motion-picture
|mo-tion-pic-ture|
🇺🇸
/ˈmoʊʃənˌpɪktʃər/
🇬🇧
/ˈməʊʃənˌpɪktʃə/
moving image / film
Etymology
'motion-picture' originates from English, combining the noun 'motion' (from Latin 'motio' via Old French/Middle English) and the noun 'picture' (from Latin 'pictura' via Old French), where 'motion' meant 'movement' and 'picture' meant 'painting' or 'image'.
'motion-picture' developed in the late 19th century from earlier phrases such as 'moving picture' and 'moving-picture' used to describe early cinematographic works; these phrases were used interchangeably before 'motion-picture' became a common formal compound.
Initially, the term referred literally to a 'picture that moves'; over time it evolved to mean a produced film or movie — a work of cinematography.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a film; a sequence of photographic images projected to give the illusion of motion — commonly: a movie.
We watched an early motion-picture at the film museum.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
relating to films or the film industry (used attributively, e.g., motion-picture industry).
She works in the motion-picture industry.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/02 23:57