Phrase guide

motion picture

name · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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/ˈməʊʃən ˈpɪktʃə(ɹ)/
Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

noun

Meaning 1

A sequence of images depicting people or objects in motion, preserved on a recording medium and capable of being projected for viewing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

Some technical knowledge of cameras and lighting is needed to create a motion picture.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

noun

Meaning 2

A movie.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

Gone with the Wind is my favorite motion picture.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

noun

Meaning 3

a form of entertainment that enacts a story by sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

they went to a movie every Saturday night
the film was shot on location

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: movie, film, picture, moving picture, moving-picture show, motion-picture show, picture show, pic, flick

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: product, production, show

Narrower terms: telefilm, feature, feature film, final cut, home movie, collage film, coming attraction, shoot-'em-up, short subject, documentary, docudrama, documentary film, infotainment, cinema verite, film noir, skin flick, rough cut, silent movie, silent picture, silents, slow motion, talking picture, talkie, three-D, 3-D, 3D, musical, musical comedy, musical theater

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Word forms

Inflections and variants

motion pictures — plural
motion-picture — alternative
motion pic — alternative

Word family

Derived and related words

Derived: none provided

Related: dub, synchronize, synchronise, film, shoot, take, videotape, tape, reshoot

Semantic map

Other relationships

Hypernyms: product, production, show

Hyponyms: silent film, talkie, talking picture, telefilm, feature, feature film, final cut, home movie, collage film, coming attraction, shoot-'em-up, short subject, documentary, docudrama, documentary film, infotainment, cinema verite, film noir, skin flick, rough cut, silent movie, silent picture, silents, slow motion, three-D, 3-D, 3D, musical, musical comedy, musical theater

Meronyms: sequence, episode, credit, subtitle, caption, credits, scene, shot

Coordinate Terms: video

Sources

Where this information comes from

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