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Definition of newsreel

newsreel

/ˈnuːzˌriːl/
news · reel
Plural:newsreels
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newsreel Lexical Profile

newsreel Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A short documentary film presenting current events and news stories, historically shown in movie theaters before the main feature from the early twentieth century until the rise of television.

Example

"Historians studied the wartime newsreel to see how the government presented the conflict to cinema audiences."

• Nearby Words

newsperson
newsprint
newsreader
newsreel
newsroom
newssheet
newsstand

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the early 20th century as a compound of "news" and "reel" (referring to a spool of motion-picture film), reflecting the pre-television practice of screening brief current-events films in movie theaters.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Newsreel. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/newsreel
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