cutscene

noun

cut·​scene ˈkət-ˌsēn How to pronounce cutscene (audio)
variants or less commonly cut-scene or cut scene
plural cutscenes also cut-scenes or cut scenes
: a noninteractive video sequence that occurs between segments of a video game and depicts part of the game's background or storyline
Extra bits of story are delivered every two or three levels, each cutscene lasting just a few seconds and providing a further, fleeting glance at the bizarre roster of characters.Joe Martin
Excellent cinematic cutscenes are dotted throughout the game, with rebel communications and face-to-face talks giving you hints on your progress.Matthew Horan
Ninja Gaiden is also notable for being one of the first action games to have cutscenes between levels.Chris Reed
You won't encounter an explicitly relayed narrative—there are no cut-scenes or dialog text; instead, the story is uncovered through the game's lo-fi and maquette-like environments, each filled with sad, funny, and poignant details.Lewis Gordon

Examples of cutscene in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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These are fine distractions, with some including new cutscenes, but the boss rematches are very frequently repeats of the battle from the previous main level, making things a bit repetitive if when playing every mission in the game. Scott McRae, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025 Here in Act 2 of Episode 3, Heresy, Bungie has released one of its best cutscenes ever. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025 Later, it was revealed that Batman was a clone, and the character did return, but in an unvoiced cutscene. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 Fixes an issue where character models can occasionally display incorrectly after using a Technique while triggering a cutscene dialogue, with the issue possibly persisting even after the dialogue ends. Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cutscene

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cutscene was in 1992

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Cite this Entry

“Cutscene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cutscene. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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