MPAA, the /ˌem piː eɪ ˈeɪ/ BrE AmE
abbreviation for the Motion Picture Association of America; a US organization whose job is to watch new films and decide whether children or young people will be allowed to see them. Each film is given a ↑ rating , which shows for example that a film can be shown to anyone (G), or can be seen by children if an adult goes with them (PG). A film that has an ‘X’ rating probably has a lot of sex and violence in it, so can only be seen by people who are at least 18 years old. There is a similar organization in the UK called the ↑ British Board of Film Classification .