Phrase guide

mise en scène

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌmizɑ̃ˈsɛn/
  • Received-Pronunciation: mizäɴsĕn′
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A physical environment; surroundings.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: broadcasting, entertainment, film, lifestyle, media, television, theater

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French mise en scène (literally “placing on stage”).

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: ympäristö — physical environment; surroundings
  • French: mise en scène — physical environment; surroundings
  • Polish: mise en scène — physical environment; surroundings
  • Russian: мизансце́на (mizanscéna) — physical environment; surroundings
  • Bulgarian: мизансце́н (mizanscén) — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Chinese Mandarin: 調度 /调度 (diàodù) — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Czech: insenace — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Danish: iscenesættelse — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Finnish: näyttämöllepano — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • French: mise en scène — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Georgian: მიზანსცენა (mizanscena) — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • German: Regie — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • German: Mise-en-scène — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Greek: σκηνοθεσία (skinothesía) — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Italian: messinscena — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Japanese: ミザンセーヌ (mizansēnu) — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Korean: 미장센 (mijangsen) — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Persian: میزانسن (mizânsen) — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Polish: mise en scène — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Portuguese: mise-en-scène — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Portuguese: encenação — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Russian: мизансце́на (mizanscéna) — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Russian: инсцениро́вка (insceniróvka) — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film
  • Spanish: puesta en escena — arrangement of props and actors on a stage or for film