Hollywood

The word “Hollywood” means a neighbourhood of Los Angeles that has become world-famous as the centre of the American film industry. In plain terms, shorthand for the American movie business, named after the LA neighbourhood where major studios are based.

“Hollywood” is pronounced HO-lee-wuud (/ˈhɑ.li.wʊd/ in IPA).

Here is “Hollywood” used in a sentence: “Tourists flock to Hollywood to see the Walk of Fame.”

Depending on how it is used, “Hollywood” can be a name and an adjective.

“Hollywood” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Hollywood” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a neighbourhood of Los Angeles that has become world-famous as the centre of the American film industry.

Hollywood is a district in the northwest of Los Angeles, California, in the United States. Once a separate community, it merged with Los Angeles in the early twentieth century. Today it is known worldwide less as a place to live than as the symbolic home of American cinema.

Hollywood became the centre of the American film industry in the early 1900s, when filmmakers settled there for its sunny climate and varied scenery. Over time its name became shorthand for the entire movie business — its studios, stars, and glamour. Landmarks like the Hollywood Sign reinforce that fame.

Often, yes. Beyond the physical neighbourhood, Hollywood is used as a nickname for the American film industry as a whole — "a Hollywood blockbuster" or "breaking into Hollywood." In that sense it refers to the studios, culture, and business of mainstream American moviemaking rather than a specific location.

The Hollywood Sign is a giant landmark spelling out "HOLLYWOOD" in white letters on a hillside above Los Angeles. Put up in 1923, it originally read "Hollywoodland" to advertise a housing development. It later became a world-famous symbol of the area and the film industry it represents.