sitcom
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of sitcom
First recorded in 1960–65; by shortening
Explanation
Sitcom is short for “situation comedy.” It’s a funny TV show with a realistic setting, like an apartment full of wacky roommates or a restaurant where a regular cast of characters cracks jokes from week to week. Sitcoms have been around since people began rolling their eyes at laugh tracks. I Love Lucy (1950’s) was an early sitcom; it was one that featured a married couple who had zany misunderstandings. On 30 Rock (2000’s), the situation was a bunch of oddballs in their office making a TV show. On Barney Miller, (1970’s) the situation was a normal police captain surrounded by weird coworkers. The basic elements of a sitcom stay the same from week to week.
Vocabulary lists containing sitcom
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Bob Newhart (1929–2024) Tribute List
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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.
Todd Bridges is the last surviving original cast member of the hit sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes,” which ran from 1978 to 1986.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Flustered, but flattered, Dianne is preparing to sign a napkin when the fan explains that she especially liked the sitcom “Bless This Mess.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Getting that recognition required her to portray a chauvinist’s version of a sitcom character that was beneath her on a show about another show.
From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026
The actor added, “I auditioned but didn’t get the part. My dad’s agent sent me out for a role in the TV sitcom ‘Our Man Higgins.’
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
I’ve always had this theory that God is a sitcom writer who loves to put me in ridiculous situations.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
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.
