Télévisuel

Télévisuel is a French adjective meaning related to television or produced for television. It can also be used as a noun in some discourses to refer to television-related objects or phenomena, though it is most commonly found modifying another noun (for example, l’image télévisuelle). The term derives from télé-, a prefix meaning far or television, and visuel (visual).

In academic discourse, télévisuel designates the visual culture and language produced by the television medium. It encompasses aspects such as shot composition, framing, editing rhythms, on-screen text, the screen as a viewing surface, and the domestic reception context that shapes audience experience. The term is widely used in media studies, cultural studies, and visual culture to analyze how the medium structures perception, narrative tempo, and genre conventions, as well as the social practices surrounding viewing.

In English-language scholarship, the corresponding terms are 'the televisual' or 'televisual.' French writers frequently pair télévisuel with phrases like l’image télévisuelle or l’esthétique télévisuelle to address specific facets of television visuals. The concept is central to discussions of how television shapes and reflects everyday life, public discourse, and the relationship between producers, programs, and audiences.

See also: télévision, image télévisuelle, esthétique télévisuelle, culture médiatique, médias à la télévision.