What does crosscutting mean?
Crosscutting is primarily a film-editing technique in which an editor repeatedly switches between two or more scenes or lines of action, implying that they occur simultaneously or that their fates are connected. Familiar from rescue sequences, heist films, and thrillers, it is one of cinema's most powerful tools for generating suspense and dramatic irony, allowing viewers to see information the characters cannot. The term derives from the verb 'to crosscut', which in woodworking means to saw across the grain, and by extension it describes anything that cuts across established boundaries. In computing and the social sciences, 'cross-cutting' refers to concerns or loyalties that span multiple categories rather than fitting neatly within one. Whether describing parallel storylines on screen or intersecting pressures in society, crosscutting captures the idea of movement across dividing lines, making it a vivid and versatile word.
nounThe technique of alternating between two or more scenes or strands of action in a film to suggest they are happening simultaneously or are thematically linked; more generally, the act of cutting across or intersecting something.
- In film and video editing: the alternation between two or more scenes or actions occurring at the same time, building tension or showing parallel events.
- In woodworking: cutting timber across the grain.
- In computing and social theory: issues or relationships that cut across established categories or divisions (e.g. cross-cutting concerns).
"The film's climax relies on relentless crosscutting between the fleeing heroine and her pursuers."
"Griffith's early films pioneered crosscutting to build suspense as rescuers raced toward imperilled characters."
"The architect's design used crosscutting beams of light to divide the gallery into shifting spaces."
Every heart-pounding chase scene you've ever watched exists because of crosscutting — a trick invented over a century ago that made audiences believe two distant events were unfolding at once.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of crosscutting
The word derives from 'crosscut', formed in English from the combining form 'cross-' (from Old Norse 'kross', ultimately from Latin 'crux', meaning cross) plus 'cut'. In woodworking, a crosscut saw cuts across the grain of timber, a usage attested by the eighteenth century. The filmic sense developed in the early twentieth century as filmmakers, notably D. W. Griffith, refined techniques for alternating between simultaneous actions, borrowing the carpentry term to describe how the edit itself cut across the narrative's separate threads.
Related word forms
How crosscutting is actually used
Most strongly associated with film studies and criticism, where it is standard technical vocabulary. In everyday writing it appears less often; related terms like 'cross-cutting' (hyphenated) are common in business and software contexts.
Easily confused with crosscutting
"Cross-cutting" is typically hyphenated when used adjectivally (as in cross-cutting concerns in software), while "crosscutting" as a single word most often names the noun technique of alternating scenes in film.