tableau
Americannoun
-
a picture, as of a scene.
-
a picturesque grouping of persons or objects; a striking scene.
-
a representation of a picture, statue, scene, etc., by one or more persons suitably costumed and posed.
-
Solitaire. the portion of a layout to which one may add cards according to suit or denomination.
noun
-
See tableau vivant
-
a pause during or at the end of a scene on stage when all the performers briefly freeze in position
-
any dramatic group or scene
-
logic short for semantic tableau
Etymology
Origin of tableau
First recorded in 1690–1700; from French: “board, picture,” Middle French tablel, diminutive of table table
Explanation
A tableau is a dramatic picture. If you catch a glance into the Oval Office and see top advisers speaking to each other with intensity, you behold a dramatic political tableau. Tableau comes from the old French for "picture, or painted target." We usually use tableau to describe a vivid living scene. If you are a journalist and want to describe the tension in a courtroom, you might write a verbal tableau of the judge, the jury, and the witness box. People used to entertain themselves by doing tableau vivant, or living pictures, by reenacting perfectly the frozen scene of a famous painting.
Vocabulary lists containing tableau
The Diary of Anne Frank
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Quiz yourself on these words spoken by the man at the center of the "Laurel" / "Yanny" craze!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Handmaid's Tale
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
As if Mr. Maher’s tableau weren’t enough, the evening’s varied cast now includes the champion U.S. men’s hockey team, fresh from the Olympics.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
I present to you a familiar domestic tableau: a refrigerator door swinging open to reveal a crowd of condiments purchased for a single recipe.
From Salon • Jan. 31, 2026
But as the company grew, marketing its locations as a tableau in which to “stay awhile” ultimately meant there was a finite number of people they could sell coffee to per day.
From Slate • Dec. 22, 2025
Christmas often inspires visions of perfection: the geometrically precise tree, the artfully arranged mantel, the candlelit feast a flawless tableau.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025
“As you wish. We have also prepared a tableau based on Aesop’s well-loved fable ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf.’”
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
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.
