Phrase guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
A film genre characterized by low-key lighting, a bleak urban setting, and corrupt, cynical or desperate characters.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: broadcasting, film, media, television
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An individual film in this genre.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a movie that is marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism, menace, and cynical characters
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: movie, film, picture, moving picture, moving-picture show, motion picture, motion-picture show, picture show, pic, flick
History
Borrowed from French film noir (“dark film”, literally “black film”), attributed to French film critic Nino Frank (1946).
Across languages
2 source translations are retained for this English entry.
