Dionysia

American  

[dahy-uh-nish-ee-uh, -nis-] / ˌdaɪ əˈnɪʃ i ə, -ˈnɪs- /

plural noun

1. the orgiastic and dramatic festivals held periodically in honor of Dionysus, especially those in Attica, from which Greek comedy and tragedy developed.

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Dionysia British  

/ ˌdaɪəˈnɪzɪə /

plural noun

1. (in ancient Greece) festivals of the god Dionysus: a source of Athenian drama

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Etymology

Origin of Dionysia

1890–95; < Latin < Greek

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Dionysia

By melding civic ritual with dramatic art, the yearly City Dionysia and related festivals fostered an essential cultural space for reflection and debate, a forum that shaped democratic deliberation.

From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2025

Their plays premiered at the annual City Dionysia, a festival that was held on the slopes of the Acropolis each spring, drawing large audiences.

From New York Times ● Sep. 12, 2023

We know it wasn’t a comedy because, with a bias that persists to this day, the city Dionysia didn’t get around to recognizing komoidía alongside tragoidia until three years later.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2018

The words “being boring” took me back to the early ’70s and an invitation I had received to the Great Urban Dionysia Party in Newcastle, England, where I grew up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2018

He also manages the contests at the Dionysia and the Thargelia.

From The Athenian Constitution by Sir Frederic G. (Frederic George) Kenyon

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