cinematic

adjective cin·e·mat·ic \ ˌsi-nə-ˈma-tik \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of cinematic

1 : of, relating to, suggestive of, or suitable for motion pictures or the filming of motion pictures

cinematic principles and techniques

cinematic special effects

2 : filmed and presented as a motion picture

cinematic fantasies

a cinematic adaptation of a novel

—

cinematically

play \-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See cinematic defined for English-language learners

Examples of cinematic in a Sentence

a director who has produced some great cinematic moments

Recent Examples of cinematic from the Web

The true tale of a friendly stray mutt turned war hero is the kind of story built for cinematic adaptation.

— katie walsh, latimes.com, "'Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero,' a true story about a WWI dog soldier gets animated," 12 Apr. 2018
The Loewy family's contributions during World War II are well-documented, but not well-known — despite their almost cinematic characteristics.

— jessica boehm, azcentral, "Founding family of Phoenix synagogue saved 1,500 people during the Holocaust," 12 Apr. 2018
The combat, meanwhile, feels more intense, thanks to a more cinematic camera that stays close to the action, and flexible controls befitting a proper action game.

— andrew webster, The Verge, "God of War review: an incredible reimagining of a PlayStation icon," 12 Apr. 2018
The movie fudges with some facts to make Stubby’s adventures more cinematic.

— susan dunne, courant.com, "'Sgt. Stubby' A Charming Retelling Of New Haven Pup's Heroism," 12 Apr. 2018
In A Quiet Place the primal scream that people make when in agony or fear or rage becomes a nuanced cinematic object.

— josephine livingstone, The New Republic, "Sight and Silence," 11 Apr. 2018
The very next day, the cops are putting a toe tag on Heather, and Jill is a person of interest and soon on the run, having fled a detective (John Cho) who’s more suavely cinematic than professionally adept.

— manohla dargis, New York Times, "Review: ‘Gemini’ Finds Murder in a Movie-Soaked Los Angeles," 29 Mar. 2018
In the time of #MeToo and divisive politics, del Toro has served up the cinematic equivalent of Calgon — with steamy bath scenes, no less — to take us all away.

— author: cara buckley, Anchorage Daily News, "How did ‘The Shape of Water’ become the film to beat at the Oscars?," 8 Feb. 2018
This series presenting cinematic classics to young people kicks off its spring season with actual kicks — and quite a few pokes, smacks, jabs and swings, too.

— laurel graeber, New York Times, "7 Things to Do With Your Kids in NYC This Weekend," 29 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cinematic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cinematic

see cinema

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1912

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Performing Arts Terms

diva, dramaturgy, loge, prestidigitation, proscenium, supernumerary, zany

CINEMATIC Defined for English Language Learners

cinematic

adjective

Definition of cinematic for English Language Learners

: of or relating to movies

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See words that rhyme with cinematic Spanish Central: Translation of cinematic Nglish: Translation of cinematic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cinematic for Arabic speakers

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cinematic

Definition of cinematic

cinematically

Examples of cinematic in a Sentence

Recent Examples of cinematic from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cinematic

Other Performing Arts Terms

CINEMATIC Defined for English Language Learners

cinematic

Definition of cinematic for English Language Learners

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cinematic

Definition of cinematic

cinematically

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