tech noir

noun

A genre of film, science-fiction film-noir cinema.

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Meanings

nountech noir (countable and uncountable, plural tech noirs)

plural tech noirs · alternative tech-noir

  1. uncountablebroadcastingA genre of film, science-fiction film-noir cinema.
  2. broadlyuncountablefictionA genre of fiction, thematically like that of the film genre.
  3. countableA work of fiction in that genre.

Origin

Blend of tech (“technology”) + film noir. From the close association of high tech with sci-fi. Folk etymology suggests this was coined by Canadian filmmaker and explorer James Cameron, when he named the dance club in the 1984 film The Terminator "Tech-Noir", and the fandom and critics labelled similar IP properties as "tech noir".

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Polish tech noir
  • tech noirgenre
Cite this entry
APA

tech noir. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tech%20noir

MLA

“tech noir.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tech%20noir. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tech noir,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tech%20noir.

Source: tech noir on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.