Etymologically
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cinematic

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 26 October 2026 at 03:31. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • /sɪnəˈmætɪk/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English cinema + -ic, using the stem seen in cinematograph.[2][3] Merriam-Webster derives it directly from the noun cinematograph,[4][5] while Etymonline takes it from French cinématique, recorded by 1902.[6] The same spelling, recorded in 1883, was earlier an occasional form of kinematic.[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Of, relating to, or suitable for films: 1912, in a North Carolina newspaper.[2] Etymonline dates this sense to 1914,[6] and Merriam-Webster to 1916.[4]

Semantic evolution

From 1913, in W. D. Howells, the adjective also described things that recall the cinema, especially in their heightened drama or grand presentation,[2] as in the cinematic feel of a video.[7] The OED revised the entry in 2018 and added a noun, recorded from 1995: in a video game, a non-interactive filmed or animated scene that advances the story.[2] The adverb cinematically dates from the mid-20th century.[3]

Timeline

  • 1883 – a variant spelling of kinematic (obsolete).[2][6]
  • 1912 – of or relating to films or film-making.[2]
  • 1913 – reminiscent of the cinema; dramatic, grand.[2]
  • 1995 – noun, a non-interactive scene in a video game.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of or relating to films, the cinema or cinematography: her early cinematic work.[2][4][8]
  2. Having the qualities of a film, especially drama or grandeur of presentation: The novel's final chase is almost cinematic.[2][7]

Noun

  1. In a video game, a non-interactive scene, filmed or animated, that adds drama or advances the story; a cutscene.[2]

Word family

  • cinematically
  • uncinematic
  • cinema
  • cinematograph
  • cinematography
  • kinematic
  • kinetic

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ Gove, Philip Babcock, ed. (1961), Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam
  6. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Soanes, Catherine; Stevenson, Angus, eds. (2004), Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press