noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A theatrical play that has been filmed for showing as a movie.
2. 2
   A novel adapted from a movie and illustrated with photographic stills taken from the film. Usage largely confined to the silent era of Hollywood.
3. 3
   A motion picture. dated

   "The three essentials of the photoplay are the Synopsis, the Cast and the Plot of Action."

Synonyms

All synonyms

3-danimated cartoonblack-and-white filmcartoonchillercine

Example

More examples

"The three essentials of the photoplay are the Synopsis, the Cast and the Plot of Action."

Etymology

From photo- + play.

Related phrases

motion picture

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.