a form of entertainment that enacts a story by sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement
"they went to a movie every Saturday night"
"the film was shot on location"
photographic material consisting of a base of celluloid covered with a photographic emulsion; used to make negatives or transparencies
"The old camera only accepts that specific brand of film, so I had to hunt for the exact roll at the specialty shop."
a thin sheet of (usually plastic and usually transparent) material used to wrap or cover things
"She carefully wrapped the fresh sandwich in clear film before putting it in her bag for lunch."
A thin layer of some substance; a pellicle; a membranous covering, causing opacity.
"A thick film of oil had formed on the surface of the soup after it sat overnight."
In plain English: A film is a movie made by recording moving images on a strip of plastic or digital file and showing them on a screen.
"We went to the cinema to watch our favorite film last night."
Usage: Use "film" to describe a very thin, often semi-transparent layer that forms on the surface of something, such as grease on water or dust on glass. Avoid this term when referring to a motion picture or a roll of photographic negatives.
To record (activity, or a motion picture) on photographic film.
"The crew spent weeks in the desert to film the rare migration of wildebeests before the rain arrived."
In plain English: To film something means to record it using a camera so you can watch it later.
"We decided to film our vacation at the beach."
Usage: Use "film" to mean recording events with a camera, such as when you film a friend making a speech. Do not use this word for watching a movie or taking a photograph of a still scene.
The word film comes from the Old English term for a thin skin or membrane. It entered modern usage to describe transparent sheets of plastic used in photography and cinema.