kabuki

American  

[kah-boo-kee, kuh-, kah-boo-kee] / kɑˈbu ki, kə-, ˈkɑ bu ki /

noun

1. popular drama of Japan, developed chiefly in the 17th century, characterized by elaborate costuming, rhythmic dialogue, stylized acting, music, and dancing, and the performance of both male and female roles by male actors.

2. Also called Grand Kabuki.  Kabuki. public performances of this type of drama.

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kabuki British  

/ kæˈbuːkɪ /

noun

1. a form of Japanese drama based on popular legends and characterized by elaborate costumes, stylized acting, and the use of male actors for all roles See also No 1

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Usage

What does Kabuki mean? Kabuki is a form of classical theater in Japan known for its elaborate costumes and dynamic acting. The phrases Kabuki theater, kabuki dance, or kabuki play are sometimes used in political discourse to describe an event characterized more by showmanship than by content.

Etymology

Origin of kabuki

1895–1900; < Japanese: originally, as v., to act dissolutely; usually written with phonograms that carry the meanings “song-dance-skill”

Explanation

Kabuki is a traditional Japanese art form involving music, dance, drama, and mime. Kabuki performers in elaborate costumes and makeup act out ancient history and legends. Kabuki performers are almost always men, but it was invented by a woman, a Shinto priestess named Izumo no Okuni. She taught her all-woman troupe to perform movements originally called onna-kabuki, or "woman song and dance." The exaggerated, stylized movement of kabuki inspired a metaphorical meaning in English — a kabuki dance is a kind of political theater in which people pretend to be in conflict but have actually decided on a predetermined outcome. Party conventions are an example of kabuki dance.

Example Sentences

Josh and Lindsay’s high society Kabuki theatrics don’t save their union or replenish her bank account.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026

Kabuki is presented as an art form of balletic skill, but it can never fully redeem or repair the film’s central figures, who once were friends before ambition got in the way.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

After two major heart surgeries, he was diagnosed with Kabuki Syndrome, a rare genetic condition requiring round-the-clock care and specialist equipment at home.

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2025

The training and technique of nihon buyo derives from Kabuki dance; its repertoire can be original or inspired by plays, folklore and stories.

From New York Times • Jan. 25, 2024

The South’s schizophrenia over how to deal with the North is occasionally acted out in a kind of Kabuki theater on the border between the two Koreas.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden