high-concept
Meaning
Describing a creative work, especially a film, whose premise or plot is based on a simple, striking, and easily summarized idea.
Characterized by being based on or concerned with a single, often clever, central idea.
Structure
Usage
The studio is known for producing high-concept science fiction blockbusters.
It was a high-concept thriller that could be pitched as "Jaws on a spaceship."
Her high-concept art installation challenged viewers with its simple, powerful premise.
Etymology
The term "high-concept" is a modern compound, originating in the Hollywood film industry of the 1970s. It combines the common English adjective "high," used here in an abstract, intensifying sense to mean "prominent" or "elevated," with the noun "concept," derived from the Latin concipere ("to take in, conceive"). The logic of the word is straightforward: it describes a creative idea that is so elevated, distilled, and striking that it can be summarized in a single, compelling sentence or image, making it easily marketable. This contrasts with more nuanced, character-driven "low-concept" narratives, positioning the central premise itself as the primary and elevated selling point.
Analysis
- high: From Old English hēah, meaning "tall, lofty, exalted." In this compound, it functions as an intensifier, suggesting something elevated in its nature or ambition. - concept: From Latin conceptus, meaning "a thing conceived, idea, embryo." It functions as the core noun, denoting the central idea or premise.