high concept
/ˌhaɪ ˈkɑnˌsɛpt/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.73 in modern English
24
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An appealing and easily communicable idea for a work (such as a book, film, or television programme).
noun
A style of work (such as a book, film, or television programme) characterized by appealing and easily communicable ideas.
noun
The overarching idea or theme of a work, particularly one perceived as highly artistic or intellectual.
adj
Example Sentences
- "Tim Burton's influence [in Batman Returns] loomed large, as half-finished high concepts, consistent only in avoiding the constraints of plot, motive, and logic, abounded."
- "[Steven] Spielberg's opinion relates well to the vision of high concept expressed by other Hollywood representatives: a striking, easily reducible narrative which also offers a high degree of marketability."
- "High concept, to the degree that it describes an actual phenomenon, seems to me to have little to do with the decline of the auteurists. Rather, it is an intensification of certain elements of the old system resulting from the exponentially rising production costs of films and the unpredictability of the exhibition market."
- "It is important to note that the 'high-tech' visual style typical for high concept changes over time, just as technology advances and popular culture undergoes transitions. […] Another aspect of high concept in television news is the simplification of the story into a marketable concept as already discussed in relation to Hollywood movies."
- "Von Trier [Lars von Trier]'s high concept is too sloppily executed to suggest he really cares that much. Most of Dancer in the Dark ranges from mediocre (music and choreography) to laughably bad. The needlessly queasy camera movement and smeary visuals, acting that often feels like a read-through, and a script neither based on research (check out the American courtroom protocol) or any real logic. Its compensation is this: At least Dancer in the Dark is bad in a complicated way."
- "This is a novel of ideas—brimming with high concepts and complicated philosophical questions. At the same time, it is a novel full of heart."
Etymology
PIE word *ḱóm From high (adjective) + concept (noun), variously attributed to the American media executives Barry Diller (born 1942) when he was working at the American Broadcasting Company in the 1970s, or Michael Eisner (born 1942) during his term as president of Paramount Pictures from 1976 to 1984.
Word Breakdown
- Root: *kewk-
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌhaɪ ˈkɑnˌsɛpt/
- British English: /ˌhaɪ ˈkɒnsɛpt/
Inflected Forms
Phrases
Frequently Paired Words
Homonyms
Antonyms
low concept