1. a film archive or library that collects, preserves, and exhibits motion pictures
2. a small movie theater that specializes in showing art films, foreign films, or classic movies

Examples

• The local cinematheque has an impressive collection of silent films from the 1920s.
• She donated her grandfather’s film reels to the national cinematheque.
• The cinematheque is showing a retrospective of French New Wave directors this month.
• Students often visit the university’s cinematheque to research film history.
• The small cinematheque downtown screens independent documentaries every Friday.
• Film scholars frequently consult the cinematheque’s archives for their research.