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Film & Television vocabulary · Genres and Storytelling

Genre

Meaning in film & television, with examples

/ˈʒɒnrə/nounCore term

In film & television, genre means: A category of films or TV shows that share a style, subject or set of conventions, such as comedy, horror, western or science fiction.

In Turkish: tür, film türü

How it is used

Critics, festivals and streaming services sort films by genre. A genre film follows the rules of its type; a film can mix genres, subvert a genre or create a new subgenre. Genre cinema often refers to horror, thriller and action films.

Example sentences

  1. The film mixes two genres: it starts as a comedy and ends as a thriller.

  2. Horror is a genre that works well on a small budget.

Common collocations

  • film genre
  • genre film
  • mix genres
  • subgenre
  • genre conventions
  • thrillerA genre of film or series built on suspense and excitement, in which characters face danger and the audience wonders what will happen next.
  • documentaryA non-fiction film or programme that presents real people, events or places, often to inform, investigate or tell a true story.
  • animationThe technique of making drawings, models or computer images appear to move by showing a series of slightly different pictures one after another, and the films made this way.
  • sitcomA comedy series, short for situation comedy, in which the same characters appear in funny situations, usually in a few familiar places such as a home or workplace.
  • feature filmA full-length film made for cinema or streaming release, usually between about 80 minutes and three hours long.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Genres and Storytelling

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