cinematic

[ sin-uh-mat-ik ]

adjective

1. having to do with movies, as either an industry or an art form:

   The book explores Andy Warhol's cinematic work, focusing on ten films in detail.

2. (of a movie) showing a high level of artistry; grand and visually impressive:

   This film is filled with sweeping, cinematic shots of the surrounding countryside, to the point where the setting almost becomes a third character.

3. having qualities or using techniques associated with good movies, such as drama, emotional intensity, visual or sonic artistry, epic narrative, etc.:

   Poetic and strikingly cinematic, her exquisitely written novel illuminates the strange tightrope we are all walking in the radically altered landscape post-9/11.

noun

1. (in a video game) a short video or scripted event scene between stages of interactive play, often to introduce a new level, develop a character, or advance the plot:

   This year's NHL game has a lot of the same animations, cinematics between faceoffs, commentary tracks, and graphics.

Other Words From

• cin·e·mat·i·cal·ly adverb
• un·cin·e·mat·ic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cinematic¹

cinemat(ograph) ( def ) + -ic

Example Sentences

“The Saints” examines its subjects as human beings, flaws and all, in dramatizations that have the kind of cinematic feel viewers expect from a Scorsese project.

From Los Angeles Times

Ultimately, much of the material in the book, including Hughes’ cinematic escape from prison and multiple grueling hunger strikes, was cut so that the Price sisters’ journey of radicalization and regret would take center stage.

From Los Angeles Times

Audiard plays with cinematic form by often plucking his characters from the real world in the middle of a song.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s a great way to cinematically and narratively understand ourselves better, through friendship dynamics.”

From Los Angeles Times

Young people didn’t remember Vietnam clearly, and those who did were more accepting of a cinematic depiction of it.

From Salon

Related Words

• pictorial
• visual
• vivid