commedia dell'arte

[kuh-mey-dee-uh del-ahr-tee, kawm-me-dyah del-lahr-te]

noun

plural

commedia dell'artes, commedias dell'arte ,

plural

commedie dell'arte .

1. Italian popular comedy, developed chiefly during the 16th–18th centuries, in which masked entertainers improvised from a plot outline based on themes associated with stock characters and situations.

commedia dell'arte

/ kɔmˈmeːdia delˈlarte /

noun

1. a form of popular comedy developed in Italy during the 16th to 18th centuries, with stock characters such as Punchinello, Harlequin, and Columbine, in situations improvised from a plot outline

Word History and Origins

Origin of commedia dell'arte¹

1875–80; < Italian: literally, comedy of art

Word History and Origins

Origin of commedia dell'arte¹

Italian, literally: comedy of art