drama

American  

[drah-muh, dram-uh] / ˈdrɑ mə, ˈdræm ə /

noun

• dramas
  plural

1. a composition in prose or verse presenting in dialogue or pantomime a story involving conflict or contrast of character, especially one intended to be acted on the stage; a play.

2. the branch of literature having such compositions as its subject; dramatic art or representation.

3. the art dealing with the writing and production of plays.

4. any situation or series of events having vivid, emotional, conflicting, or striking interest or results.

   the drama of a murder trial.

5. the quality of being dramatic.

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drama British  

/ ˈdrɑːmə /

noun

1. a work to be performed by actors on stage, radio, or television; play

2. the genre of literature represented by works intended for the stage

3. the art of the writing and production of plays

4. a situation or sequence of events that is highly emotional, tragic, or turbulent

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• minidrama
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dramas
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of drama

First recorded in 1505–15; from Late Latin, from Greek drâma “action (of a play),” from drá(ein), drâ(n) “to act, do” + -ma, noun suffix

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Explanation

Drama is highly emotional. It can happen on stage, like a performance of "Hamlet," or in a gaggle of 7th grade girls, breathlessly dissecting why so-and-so broke up with what's-her-name. The word drama comes directly from Greek, meaning "action" or "a play." Which is no surprise, since ancient Athens was a hotbed of dramatic theater. The earliest recorded actor was a Greek named Thespis, and actors today are still called "thespians" in his honor. Drama doesn't always take place on the stage, though. You can use the word, sometimes with a roll of the eyes, to describe behavior or a reaction to a situation that appears a little overly emotional.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

drama dramas

Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck dig into all the drama surrounding the Jensen Huang honeypot plot.

From Slate ● Nov. 14, 2026

Eurovision, the pan-European competition famed for zany gimmicks, slick, sometimes over-the-top staging, the drama of its complex voting system and, occasionally, for outstanding music, celebrates its 70th birthday this year.

From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026

Lauren Ambrose stars in the Manhattan Theatre Club production of Nick Payne’s drama of debilitating grief; in Danny Robins’s play at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, a couple suspects their house is haunted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026

Meanwhile, Hester is fighting her own rapacious and unreasonable enemy in a parallel drama that never folds into the main plot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026

I like it because the drama teacher never complains about my overbusy imagination.

From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins

Clearly, “Ryan’s Daughter” failed to remind the cognoscenti of Lean’s skill at chamber dramas like “Brief Encounter.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

Kelker-Kelly was best known for his work in long-running daytime dramas “Another World” and “Days of Our Lives,” where he portrayed the rebellious heartthrob Beauregard “Bo” Brady from 1992 to 1995.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

He also composed and wrote scores for a wide range of projects including TV dramas, documentaries and films.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

On Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok, AI-generated short dramas garnered more than 200 billion views in September alone.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

This approach had been used on a few other radio dramas, and Welles thought it would increase the excitement and tension.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

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Related Words

• comedy
• farce
• melodrama
• play
• production
• scene
• show
• theater
• tragedy

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