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

• uncinematic
  adjective
• cinematically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of cinematic

cinemat(ograph) ( def. ) + -ic

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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

See Examples For:

cinematic

The baroque, narrative-upon-narrative approach of “La Bola Negra” proves less galvanizing than tiresome, its confused maximalism leaving one with little more than a mild case of cinematic shell shock.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

"Stories about corporate intrigue, money and power have found a home on TV. They lack the cinematic qualities that excite big screen audiences, like emotion, spectacle and fantasy," Gross said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026

Black moptop over a face lined like a well-traveled map, and a jacket with the collar turned up against the perennial winter of cinematic 1970s New York City.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026

Filmmakers Jack Auen and Kevin Walker — who operate under the name Cosmic Salon — make movies in the belief that intellectual pursuits can be both exciting and cinematic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

The Bollywood-ized suburban wedding hall feels pretty cinematic, yet the thought of the awkward social situations to come makes me turn back and look longingly at the doors.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

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Related Words

• pictorial
• visual
• vivid

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