/ ˈsɪnəmə; NAmE / noun
1.
( BrE ) ( NAmE ˈmovie theater , theater ) [ C ] a building in which films / movies are shown :
the local cinema
2.
the cinema [ sing. ] ( BrE ) ( NAmE the movies [ pl. ]) when you go to the cinema or to the movies , you go to a cinema / movie theater to see a film / movie :
I used to go to the cinema every week.
3.
[ U , sing. ] ( especially BrE ) ( NAmE usually the movies [ pl. ]) films / movies as an art or an industry :
one of the great successes of British cinema
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WORD ORIGIN
early 20th cent.: from French cinéma , abbreviation of cinématographe , from Greek kinēma , kinēmat- movement, from kinein to move.