widescreen

widescreen — adjective

IPA/ˈwaɪd.skriːn/
IPA/ˈwaɪd.skriːn/
  • widescreenpositive
  • more widescreencomparative
  • most widescreensuperlative

1. describes a television, computer monitor, or phone screen that is wider compared

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

describes a television, computer monitor, or phone screen that is wider compared to a standard screen, giving you a larger viewing area and clearer images.

Example

Linh bought a new widescreen monitor for editing her travel photos.

attributive use: widescreen + monitor

The widescreen television in the living room showed the match with amazing clarity.

Common collocations
  • widescreen television
  • widescreen monitor
  • widescreen display
  • widescreen laptop
  • widescreen phone
  • widescreen tablet
Synonyms
  • wide

    can be used in any position in a sentence ('the screen is wide'), while widescreen is normally only before a noun

Antonyms
  • standard

    refers to a traditional screen shape that is less wide; often called 'fullscreen' or '4:3'

Grammar Patterns

widescreen + noun

Usage Note

Always used before a noun — you cannot say 'the screen is widescreen' in everyday English. Instead say 'the screen is wide' or 'it has a widescreen display.'

Common Mistakes

My new phone is widescreen.
My new phone has a widescreen display.
widescreen is an attributive adjective, so it normally goes before a noun.

2. describes a film, video, or image that has been created or adjusted to suit disp

2.adjectiveA2
Definition

describes a film, video, or image that has been created or adjusted to suit displays whose horizontal size is greater than that of a traditional boxy screen.

Example

The streaming service now offers the classic film in a widescreen version.

collocation: widescreen version

Saira always chooses the widescreen option when she downloads a movie.

Common collocations
  • widescreen version
  • widescreen format
  • widescreen mode
  • widescreen option
  • in widescreen
Synonyms
  • letterbox

    describes the black bars above and below the image when widescreen content is shown on a squarer screen; more technical

Antonyms
  • fullscreen

    describes content that fills a traditional 4:3 screen by cropping or stretching the image

Grammar Patterns

widescreen + noun

Common Mistakes

I watched the film in widescreen television.
I watched the widescreen version of the film on my television.
widescreen describes the content, not the device, in this sense.

widescreen — noun

IPA/ˈwaɪdskriːn/
IPA/ˈwaɪdskriːn/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words relate to screen size or shape, but they describe different things. Widescreen always goes before a noun and refers specifically to displays or content with a wider-than-traditional shape. Wide can be used in any position ('the screen is wide') and describes physical width in general — it is not a technical term for display formats. Panoramic describes an extremely wide view, often used for photography or landscapes, not for standard television or monitor formats. Fullscreen is the opposite of widescreen: it describes content that fills a squarer 4:3 screen. For example: 'She bought a widescreen monitor for gaming' (specific format) vs 'The screen is 27 inches wide' (physical measurement) vs 'They took a panoramic photo of the mountains' (very wide scene).

widescreen ↗wide ↗panoramic ↗fullscreen

Common collocations

Nouns

  • widescreen television
  • widescreen monitor
  • widescreen display
  • widescreen version
  • widescreen format
  • widescreen mode

Phrases

  • in widescreen format
  • in widescreen mode

Prepositions

  • in widescreen

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchEnglish

Widescreen is a compound word formed from 'wide' (Old English wīd, meaning broad or extensive) and 'screen' (Old French escren, meaning a piece of furniture that blocks view). The term became common in the 1950s when Hollywood cinema developed wider screen formats to attract audiences back from home television. Before that, films were shot in a nearly square shape (1.33:1 aspect ratio).