theatrical
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the theater or dramatic presentations.
theatrical performances.
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suggestive of the theater or of acting; artificial, pompous, spectacular, or extravagantly histrionic.
a theatrical display of grief.
- Synonyms:
- extravagant, stagy, melodramatic, exaggerated
noun
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theatricals,
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dramatic performances, now especially as given by amateurs.
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artificial or histrionic actions.
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a professional actor.
a family of renowned theatricals.
adjective
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of or relating to the theatre or dramatic performances
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exaggerated and affected in manner or behaviour; histrionic
Other Word Forms
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overtheatricalnessnoun
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theatricalitynoun
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theatricalnessnoun
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half-theatricaladjective
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nontheatricadjective
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nontheatricaladjective
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overtheatricaladjective
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quasi-theatricaladjective
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semitheatricadjective
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semitheatricaladjective
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untheatricadjective
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untheatricaladjective
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nontheatricallyadverb
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overtheatricallyadverb
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quasi-theatricallyadverb
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semitheatricallyadverb
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theatricallyadverb
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untheatricallyadverb
Etymology
Origin of theatrical
1550–60; < Late Latin theātric ( us ) < Greek theātrikós, equivalent to theā́tr ( on ) theater + -ikos -ic + -al 1
Explanation
If something happens on a stage, you can describe it as theatrical. Even reading a grocery list out loud can be theatrical, if you do it in dramatic voice with an audience watching. An actor who works on Broadway rather than in Hollywood is theatrical, and a play can be described as a theatrical production. If it happens in a theater, or is related to theater, it's theatrical. You can also use the adjective theatrical to talk about behavior that seems like it belongs on a stage, like a little boy's melodramatic weeping when he discovers a cheese sandwich in his lunch instead of peanut butter and jelly.
Vocabulary lists containing theatrical
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.
In their complaint, the 12 states claim the combined company would control roughly 27 percent of wide-release theatrical film distribution and a similar percentage of basic cable channel licensing.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Content and experiences revenue increased 22.9% to $10.7 billion, thanks to increases in advertising and theatrical revenue from popular movies including “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” horror movie “Obsession” and the international distribution of “Michael.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
My general note is particular to the genre: Comedy works best when exaggeration arises the way it does in nature, as a fact of personality rather than as a calculated theatrical effect.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
It also offered other commitments related to theatrical distribution in the region.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
“If my understanding of theatrical custom is correct, the interval will soon be over, and the actors will have to return to the theater to perform the second act. We simply must hide until then.”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
