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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• minidrama
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dramas
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

drama dramas

The drama, which debuts Nov. 11, was created by a 31-year-old first-time showrunner, Quinn Shephard.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Necessary to that approach, which brings to mind the watchful grace of last year’s stellar memory drama “Familiar Touch,” is the wonderful Poulter’s lived-in presence as someone trying to not even have a presence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Instead he creates drama or a crisis, arouses a counterforce, attacks this new enemy, experiences fear—will my luck hold?—defeats the new enemy, feels relief, relaxes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

There was less drama in the second semi-final, with Hodgkinson safely crossing the line first in one minute 57.38 seconds.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Ana gazes around the room, milking the drama of the moment.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Knox later returned to the U.S., where she began to campaign against wrongful convictions and participated in the production of several television documentaries and dramas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Glamorous actress Rouzaina Lazkani, 36, known for television dramas, was catapulted into politics when she was among the 70 lawmakers appointed by Sharaa under the country's transitional constitutional arrangements.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

For the TV category, roughly 28% of the 1,607 shoot days last quarter were for projects that benefited from the tax incentive, particularly for dramas and comedies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Shoot days for TV dramas were down 6.4% to 732 days this past quarter, with just over 38% of those days coming from incentivized projects.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Some will suggest mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, while others will strive to recall episodes of medical television dramas that may or may not be relevant to your case.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

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