film noir

noun

plural film noirs -ˈnwär(z) How to pronounce film noir (audio) or films noir or films noirs -ˈnwär How to pronounce film noir (audio)
: a type of crime film featuring cynical malevolent characters in a sleazy setting and an ominous atmosphere that is conveyed by shadowy photography and foreboding background music
also : a film of this type

Examples of film noir in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Lady from Shanghai In conceiving of and constructing both Ingrid Luna and Aurora, Condon was strongly inspired by Rita Hayworth, an iconic star of musicals and film noir. Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025 Their talent alone, against the snowy backdrop of 1950s Wisconsin farmland, gives the show the classic film noir tone that should have been its foundation. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025 Multi-hyphenate Edgerton made his feature film directorial debut with the 2008 Australian film noir The Square, written by his brother and frequent collaborator Joel Edgerton. Denise Petski, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2025 In using the language of film noir, Harjo and Hawke get to do a kind of character work that other kinds of stories simply don’t allow. Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for film noir

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, black film

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of film noir was in 1930

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Cite this Entry

“Film noir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/film%20noir. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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