period drama

British

noun

a drama set in a particular historical period

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That excitement is because it is one of those titles that quietly shaped every period drama and miniseries that came after it.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

And she knew the history of Brazilian surges at the Oscars could bode well for Moura, Brazilian star of “The Secret Agent,” a period drama set in the country.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

"It'd be nice for me to do something completely different. I'd love to do a comedy or I'd like to be a scullery maid in the kitchens in a period drama."

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

An offbeat political thriller, a vampire horror film and a period drama about Shakespeare will go head-to-head Sunday at the BAFTAs, Britain's biggest film awards, setting the stage for the Oscars.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

The bracing period drama “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight” humanizes a childhood that sounds easy to hate.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023