film noir

noun

-ˈnwär 

plural film noirs -ˈnwär(z)  or films noir or films noirs -ˈnwär 

: 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

His north star was Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Robert Zemeckis’ 1988 classic that remains the gold standard of the cartoon hybrid form — and was told through the unexpected cinephilic lens of film noir. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

That included a recurring role as detective Michael Shayne in a series of film noirs. — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Aug. 2026

Season 2 pits Batman against more of Gotham’s most notorious criminals while continuing the show’s stylish blend of detective stories, classic comic book influences, and old-school film noir. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Carol persuades Clark to take out a life-insurance policy on her husband—an unusual request outside of a film noir, though not such a departure from the annals of heterosexuality, in which women have depended on men for security for millennia. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, black film

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for film noir

• boudoir
• moire