spectacle

American  

[spek-tuh-kuhl] / ˈspɛk tə kəl /

noun

1. anything presented to the sight or view, especially something of a striking or impressive kind.

   The stars make a fine spectacle tonight.

   Synonyms:

   show, sight, wonder, marvel

2. a public show or display, especially on a large scale.

   The coronation was a lavish spectacle.

3. spectacles. eyeglasses, especially with pieces passing over or around the ears for holding them in place.

4. Often spectacles.

   1. something resembling spectacles in shape or function.

   2. any of various devices suggesting spectacles, as one attached to a semaphore to display lights or different colors by colored glass.

5. Obsolete. a spyglass.

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idioms

1. make a spectacle of oneself, to call attention to one's unseemly behavior; behave foolishly or badly in public.

   They tell me I made a spectacle of myself at the party last night.

spectacle British  

/ ˈspɛktəkəl /

noun

1. a public display or performance, esp a showy or ceremonial one

2. a thing or person seen, esp an unusual or ridiculous one

   he makes a spectacle of himself

3. a strange or interesting object or phenomenon

4. (modifier) of or relating to spectacles

   a spectacle case

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Other Word Forms

• spectacleless adjective
• spectaclelike adjective
• superspectacle noun

Etymology

Origin of spectacle

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin spectāculum “sight, spectacle,” from spectā(re) “to look at,” literally, “to look repeatedly” (from specere “to look, regard, see”) + -culum -cle ²

Explanation

A spectacle is something you can't believe you are seeing. Get on top of your desk at work in your underpants while playing the kazoo and you're making a spectacle of yourself. The word spectacle comes from the Latin spectaculum meaning "public show," an apt translation because a spectacle, like a public show, is something worth watching. A ballet is a spectacle, or an elaborate production worth watching. Often the word is used to describe something that has a particularly exciting visual element to it — like an acrobatic display or a magic trick. It's something you have to see to really appreciate.

Example Sentences

Perhaps if there were a measurable commitment to promoting “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in a way that aligns with the first film, this unnecessary spectacle wouldn’t feel so grating.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026

The findings suggest that the eclipse was more than just a visual spectacle.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

Mr. Spitz, the author of well-received studies of Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, has a clear-eyed view of the band: the business, the spectacle, the collateral damage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

He’s bemused in retrospect by the strange spectacle of a “little white boy in short trousers” frolicking with a Black man old enough to be his father.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Villagers turned from the spectacle of the dung heap to see little Jeanne, carried like a willful calf in the arms of the weasel-faced knight.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

Related Words

• comedy
• demonstration
• display
• drama
• event
• extravaganza
• movie
• pageant
• parade
• performance
• phenomenon
• scene
• sight
• spectacular
• tableau