outtake
C1Neutral to informal in media/entertainment contexts; technical within production industries.
Definition
Meaning
A section of recorded material (film, audio, etc.) that is removed or not used in the final version.
A rejected or unused part of a recording or performance; often used for blooper reels or bonus content.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a noun. The term implies a deliberate selection/rejection process and is often associated with humour or error.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Meaning and usage are identical in both varieties. The word is strongly associated with global media/entertainment industries.
Connotations
Neutral/technical when referring to the editing process; often humorous/nostalgic when referring to released collections of bloopers.
Frequency
Moderate and similar frequency in both varieties, largely confined to film, TV, music, and media production contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[verb] + an outtake: include, release, show, feature, delete[adjective] + outtake: hilarious, classic, famous, unusedVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's a classic outtake.”
- “ended up on the cutting room floor (related concept)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; might be used in marketing for 'behind-the-scenes' content.
Academic
Rare; potentially in film/media studies when discussing the editing process.
Everyday
Used when discussing films, TV shows, or music recordings, especially bonus features.
Technical
Standard term in film, television, and music production for a recorded take not selected for use.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- They decided to outtake that entire scene during the final edit.
- (Note: verb use 'to outtake' is exceedingly rare and non-standard; the noun is standard)
American English
- (Standard usage is as a noun only. The verb form is virtually unused.)
adverb
British English
- (Not used as an adverb.)
American English
- (Not used as an adverb.)
adjective
British English
- (Not used as a standard adjective.)
American English
- (Not used as a standard adjective.)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- (A2 level too low for this specialised term.)
- The DVD has funny outtakes at the end.
- They didn't use that scene; it's an outtake.
- The documentary included several hilarious outtakes from the interview.
- Fans love watching the outtakes to see the actors making mistakes.
- The director's commentary explains why each outtake was ultimately rejected from the final cut.
- Collectors prize the rare studio outtakes from the band's seminal album sessions.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: They take it OUT of the final version = OUTTAKE.
Conceptual Metaphor
REJECTION IS REMOVAL / A PROCESS IS A JOURNEY (where the final version is the destination, and outtakes are paths not taken).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'внешний прием'. The correct translation is typically 'удаленный дубль', 'невошедший в финальную версию материал', or 'закадровый материал/блупер' for humorous outtakes.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'outtake' to mean a general 'mistake' outside of recorded media (e.g., 'His speech was full of outtakes').
- Confusing spelling: 'outake' (missing a 't').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'outtake' MOST appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'outtake' is almost exclusively a noun in modern English. The verb form is extremely rare and non-standard.
An 'outtake' is any recorded material not used in the final version. A 'blooper' is a specific type of outtake featuring a mistake, often humorous. All bloopers are outtakes, but not all outtakes are bloopers.
Yes. The term is common in both film/video production and music/audio recording for material that is recorded but not selected for the final release.
It is a standard, neutral term within the media and entertainment industries. In general everyday conversation, it is neutral but relatively specialised.