film noir

noun

plural film noirs -ˈnwär(z) How to pronounce film noir (audio) or films noir or films noirs -ˈnwär How to pronounce film noir (audio)
: a type of crime film featuring cynical malevolent characters in a sleazy setting and an ominous atmosphere that is conveyed by shadowy photography and foreboding background music
also : a film of this type

Examples of film noir in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Moon is entering your private 8th house, which can make things feel more like a detective novel or film noir than your usual day-to-day reality. Tarot.com, Orlando Sentinel, 23 June 2024 Meridian looks like a film noir crime story, complete with shots in a dusty office with a fan in the background, a cloudy beach scene with glistening water, and a dark dream sequence that’s full of contrasts. Janko Roettgers, The Verge, 22 June 2024 This Gun for Hire (1942) Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake starred in a series of stone-cold classic crime thrillers during World War II and just after — a period when shadows grew more jagged and anti-heroes more complex, giving birth to the rise of film noir. Christina Newland, Vulture, 6 June 2024 Your world has just become a film noir thriller as Mercury enters your secretive 8th house, magnifying your ability to read between the lines and ferret out the facts that might otherwise be hidden from view. Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 3 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for film noir 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'film noir.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, black film

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of film noir was in 1930

Dictionary Entries Near film noir

Cite this Entry

“Film noir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/film%20noir. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.

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