drama
Americannoun
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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.
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the branch of literature having such compositions as its subject; dramatic art or representation.
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the art dealing with the writing and production of plays.
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any situation or series of events having vivid, emotional, conflicting, or striking interest or results.
the drama of a murder trial.
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the quality of being dramatic.
noun
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a work to be performed by actors on stage, radio, or television; play
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the genre of literature represented by works intended for the stage
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the art of the writing and production of plays
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a situation or sequence of events that is highly emotional, tragic, or turbulent
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing drama
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Ancient Greece - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He graduated from Oberlin College and completed a graduate program at the Yale School of Drama.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026
For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss consuming escapist vs. difficult art and the turmoil of modern marriage through The Drama and Beef Season 2.
From Slate • Jun. 4, 2026
Located in the city center, the Donetsk Regional Academic Drama Theater became a makeshift bomb shelter in the immediate days after the invasion, housing up to 1,500 Mariupoltsi pursuing refuge.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Fifth place went to "The Drama," A24's romantic comedy with a dark twist starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson about a couple unraveling just before their wedding.
From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026
He asked, for example, since I was in the Drama department, why hadn’t I been in any plays?
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
