drama

[drah-muh, dram-uh]

noun

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

/ 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

• minidrama noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of drama¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of drama¹

C17: from Late Latin: a play, from Greek: something performed, from drān to do

Example Sentences

Likewise, “Adolescence,” the towering English autopsy of youth spent online, a harrowing drama masterminded by actor Stephen Graham and directed by Philip Barantini, who filmed his four episodes in four uncut takes.

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Still, most character-based, reality-grounded dramas and comedies are just as good on the small screen, where most of my picks quickly went.

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Known for playing the self-serving patriarch Frank Gallagher in TV series “Shameless,” Macy returns to the screen in the historical drama “Train Dreams.”

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Cavenagh accepted that mistakes had been made at the club, but there was no hint of the drama to come.

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His lead role as a gun-toting rebel in the 1972 crime drama The Harder They Come is a cornerstone of Jamaican cinema, and was attributed as the movie that brought reggae to America.

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Related Words

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