noun
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the art of making and manipulating puppets and presenting puppet shows
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unconvincing or specious presentation
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of puppetry
Explanation
If you make puppets or put on puppet shows — either as a hobby or a paid job — you practice the art of puppetry. If you draw a face on an old sock, put it on your hand, and make it act out dramatic scenes, that's puppetry. You may think of puppetry as kids' stuff, but people around the world consider it a valid form of theater. Puppetry has existed since at least the fifth century BCE, and it takes many forms. There's Japanese bunraku, in which puppeteers dressed in black maneuver wooden puppets against a black background. Italy is famous for inventing marionettes, highly complex puppets on strings. "The Muppet Show" and "Sesame Street" are also perfect examples of great puppetry in action.
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.
The Awakening at Wynn Las Vegas — There’s dancing, illusions, puppetry and acrobatics on full display in “The Awakening,” a visually striking production at Wynn Las Vegas.
From Salon ● Mar. 7, 2026
The stars of the show become more than the performers, who are all capable of spectacle, but also Basil Twist, he of the puppetry and fantastical sets, and choreographer Ann Yee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2025
Diane Paulus directs the production that includes puppetry by Basil Twist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2025
The museum recently held an event themed around the Belgian character Tintin, as well as other shadow puppetry shows.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2025
Even man possesses a dignity which is not consistent with puppetry and mock heroics.
From The Moral Economy by Perry, Ralph Barton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
