Bollywood

noun

Bol·​ly·​wood ˈbä-lē-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce Bollywood (audio)
: the movie industry in India

Examples of Bollywood in a Sentence

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.
Being married to a Bollywood star only added to the celebrity and aura. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025 Shah Rukh Khan, 59, is a Bollywood megastar who has acted in over 80 films in a career that has spanned almost three decades. Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 8 May 2025 Buy Now Buy Now 09 of 10 'A Bollywood Affair' by Sonali Dev The hero in this one is a director who's a good cook and enjoys watching the heroine eat. Jackie Lau, People.com, 5 May 2025 Mumbai, the capital of the western Indian state of Maharashtra, is home to the Hindi-language Bollywood film industry. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for Bollywood

Word History

Etymology

Bombay (Mumbai), traditional center of the Indian film industry + Hollywood

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Bollywood was in 1969

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bollywood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Bollywood. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

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