comedy

American  

[kom-i-dee] / ˈkɒm ɪ di /

noun

plural

comedies

1. a play, movie, etc., of light and humorous character with a happy or cheerful ending; a dramatic work in which the central motif is the triumph over adverse circumstance, resulting in a successful or happy conclusion.

2. that branch of the drama which concerns itself with this form of composition.

3. the comic element of drama, of literature generally, or of life.

4. any literary composition dealing with a theme suitable for comedy, or employing the methods of comedy.

5. any comic or humorous incident or series of incidents.

   Synonyms:

   banter, pleasantry, humor

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comedy British  

/ ˈkɒmɪdɪ /

noun

1. a dramatic or other work of light and amusing character

2. the genre of drama represented by works of this type

3. (in classical literature) a play in which the main characters and motive triumph over adversity

4. the humorous aspect of life or of events

5. an amusing event or sequence of events

6. humour or comic style

   the comedy of Chaplin

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comedy Cultural  

1. A work — play, story, novel, or film — that ends happily for the main character (or protagonist) and contains humor to some degree. A comedy may involve unhappy outcomes for some of the characters. Shylock, for example, in The Merchant of Venice, a comedy by William Shakespeare, is disgraced in the play. The ancient Greeks and Romans produced comedies, and great numbers have been written in modern times.

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Other Word Forms

• comedial adjective
• procomedy adjective

Etymology

Origin of comedy

1350–1400; Middle English comedye < Medieval Latin cōmēdia, Latin cōmoedia < Greek kōmōidía, equivalent to kōmōid ( ós ) comedian ( kômo ( s ) merry-making + aoidós singer) + -ia -y ³

Example Sentences

“I’m very excited about the festival because I get to do comedy rather than acting in murder shows. This is the time I get to be a silly billy. And I like that about myself.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The festival offers an option for seeing live comedy where trans people aren’t “constantly catching strays,” festival producer and actor Petey Gibson says.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

It’s been a while since we’ve had a decent ”Honey, I Shrank the ___” comedy.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Maria Semple, the bestselling author and TV comedy trailblazer, goes to a downtown Manhattan wellness spot for a cold plunge every day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

The image of a burly policeman traipsing across the stage with an empty plastic bag, attempting to “capture” the air, was the stuff of Chaplinesque comedy.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• farce
• fun
• humor
• satire
• sitcom