Filmdom

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The world of cinema and motion pictures, including all the people, companies, and creative work involved in making and distributing films
2. The film industry considered as a whole, encompassing producers, directors, actors, studios, and all associated with movies
3. The realm of motion pictures and those who work within it, regarded as a distinct sphere of entertainment and artistic production

Etymology: "Filmdom" is a plain compound of "film" and the suffix "-dom," which comes from Old English "dōm," meaning judgment or condition, and later came to mean a realm or domain (as in "kingdom" or "freedom"). Attaching it to "film" produces a word for the whole world of motion pictures, the film industry and those who work in it, treated as a domain of its own. The suffix has been productive for centuries, so "filmdom" follows a familiar pattern, much like "stardom" or "officialdom." The formation is transparent: a reader meeting the word for the first time can work out its meaning from its two parts without needing any special history.

Synonyms: film industry, cinema, Hollywood