comedy

[kom-i-dee]

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

comedy

/ 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

comedy

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.

Other Word Forms

• comedial adjective
• procomedy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of comedy¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of comedy¹

C14: from Old French comédie, from Latin cōmoedia, from Greek kōmōidia, from kōmos village festival + aeidein to sing

Example Sentences

If that sounds unpleasant, you may not be cut out for Robinson’s brand of comedy.

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Adjusted for inflation, silver would need to exceed $200 a troy ounce to top the 1980 peak, set before the Hunt brothers’ gambit went bust and inspired the Eddie Murphy comedy “Trading Places.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

She’s like, ‘This is so beautiful, but we’re making a network comedy.’

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Before long, I found myself following “Home Alone” up with “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” another Candy comedy I hadn’t seen in years.

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Keaton’s role in Woody Allen’s 1977 romantic comedy was written just for her.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• farce 
• fun 
• humor 
• satire 
• sitcom