big-screen

1 of 2

adjective

1
: relating to movies or to the movie industry
She worked on the novel's big-screen adaptation.
Big-screen villains that resemble America's real-world enemies are as old as the movies themselves.Vanity Fair
2
: having a large screen
a big-screen television
And in my experience testing big-screen phones …, it really is far more difficult to do anything on them one-handed, including typing.John Gruber

big screen

2 of 2

noun

: the movie medium often as contrasted to television
a story adapted for the big screen

Examples of big-screen in a Sentence

Noun many actors now take roles for both television and the big screen
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
All four titles will receive theatrical releases across multiple European territories, signaling the distributor’s confidence in the big-screen appeal of anime content. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 June 2025 Keeping snacks in mind for the occasion, themed movie night gift sets like this can go a long way when indulging in big-screen entertainment at home. Devonne Goode, Parents, 6 June 2025
Noun
Grande got her start on the Nickelodeon series Victorious and iCarly before becoming a breakout pop superstar and earning Oscar and Golden Globe best supporting actress nominations for her role as Glinda in the first part of the double-up big screen adaptation of the musical Wicked. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 10 June 2025 By the time that first big screen adaptation came to theaters in late 2001, Rowling had published four Potter books and sold over 100 million copies, vaulting her from living off welfare checks to multi-millionaire celebrity status. Matt Craig, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for big-screen

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of big-screen was in 1914

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Big-screen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big-screen. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

big screen

noun
: the motion-picture medium as contrasted to television
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!