big-screen

1 of 2

adjective

ˈbig-ˌskrēn 

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

Synonyms of big-screen

Noun

• film
• movie
• filmmaking
• silver screen
• pictures

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

Adjective

The Silence of the Lambs star recalled being attacked by a massive feline costar while shooting Napoleon and Samantha, a 1972 Disney movie that marked her big-screen debut. —Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026

Hudson, who made her big-screen debut in 1998's Desert Blue at 19, was quick to credit her mother for shaping her success. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026

Noun

This is not a dinky smart projector that streams content over Wi-Fi to a spare wall or big screen. —New Atlas, 22 Jan. 2026

Repped by Aran Michael Management, Oliphant makes her big screen debut in Galluppi’s Evil Dead. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1914, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for big-screen

• agin
• alkene
• allene
• ameen
• amin
• amine
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between

Kids Definition

big screen

noun

: the motion-picture medium as contrasted to television