cinematic

American  

[sin-uh-mat-ik] / ˌsɪn əˈmæt ɪk /

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.

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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 Word Forms

• cinematically adverb
• uncinematic adjective

Etymology

Origin of cinematic

cinemat(ograph) ( def. ) + -ic

Explanation

Use the adjective cinematic to describe things that relate to — or resemble — a movie. You might, for example, read a cinematic scene in a novel that's written in a vivid, memorable way. You might say your favorite cinematic moment ever is the opening scene in The Sound of Music, or lament that your favorite director's cinematic output has been low recently. You're talking about movies here; cinematic comes from cinema. This word is also frequently used for things that just seem like you're watching them on a big screen: "When we came over that hill at sunrise and finally saw the Atlantic Ocean, it was so cinematic!"

Example Sentences

It would be easy to take Emma’s confession as a simple cinematic provocation.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

“Dog Day Afternoon” makes for a largely diverting evening, but like many if not most stage versions of beloved films it never entirely succeeds at laying to rest the ghosts of its cinematic past.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

It produces movies intended for big cinematic releases, such as Top Gun: Maverick and the Transformers series.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

Doncic hit daring fadeaway three-pointers, threw sky-high lobs to teammates and nailed a dramatic winning shot against the Nuggets at home to add cinematic highlights to his budding most valuable player case.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

Like a cinematic mantra, a mystical trailer of memory, I replayed the scene of all those boys standing in the grass about the spontaneous creche of his death.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Related Words

• pictorial
• visual
• vivid