English Reference

Word

cinematic

Phoneticscin·e·mat·ic

US/ˌsɪnəˈmætɪk/

UK/sˌɪnɪmˈætɪk/

Definitions

01resembling a movie

B2

adj. having the high quality, beauty, or dramatic feeling of a professional film.

adj. resembling a professional motion picture in visual style, scale, or narrative impact.

“The video game has cinematic graphics that make you feel like you are in a movie.”

“The director's use of wide-angle lenses and natural lighting gave the small-budget production a truly cinematic feel that impressed critics.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

02relating to cinema

B2

adj. relating to the world of movies or the history of film.

adj. pertaining to the cinema or the art of filmmaking.

“The city has a rich cinematic history with many famous filming locations.”

“The museum's latest exhibition explores the cinematic techniques used during the silent film era to convey emotion without dialogue.”

Synonyms

filmic

03a game cutscene

C1 · Computing

n. a short movie clip inside a video game that tells part of the story.

n. a non-interactive sequence in a video game used to advance the plot or develop characters.

“I skipped the cinematic because I wanted to get straight back to the action.”

“The transition from the opening cinematic to active gameplay was so seamless that players hardly noticed the shift in control.”

Technical

Usage

Often used by gamers and developers to distinguish story moments from active play.

Synonyms

cutscenesequence

Antonyms

gameplay

Real-World Examples

“As well as a cinematic release, Derek vs Derek will be shown at special on-farm screenings across the country.”
The Guardian · 18 Sept 2026
“They have their little idiosyncrasies, their bits of cinematic flair, but they keep their feet grounded in the here and now.”
The Guardian · 15 Sept 2026
“While San Sebastián is not one of the most headline-grabbing events on the film festival calendar, it has attracted quite a few cinematic icons in its time.”
The Local · 19 Sept 2024

Etymology

From cinema + -tic. Compare French cinématique.

Variant of kinematic.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

cinemaNouncinematicAdjective

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/cinematic

English Reference