theater

or the·a·tre

[ thee-uh-ter, theeuh- ]

/ ˈθi ə tər, ˈθiə- /

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See synonyms for: theater / theaters on Thesaurus.com

noun

a building, part of a building, or outdoor area for housing dramatic performances or stage entertainments, or for showing movies.

the audience at a theatrical performance or movie: The whole theater was weeping.

a theatrical or acting company.

a room or hall, fitted with tiers of seats rising like steps, used for lectures, surgical demonstrations, etc.: Students crowded into the operating theater.

the theater, dramatic performances as a branch of art; the drama: an actress devoted to the theater.

Often the theater . dramatic works collectively, as of literature, a nation, or an author: the theater of Ibsen.

the quality or effectiveness of dramatic performance: good theater;bad theater;pure theater.

a place of dramatic action, especially during a war: the Pacific theater during World War II.See also theater of war.

a public display of action or speech that gives a false impression of accomplishing or promising something, merely for the sake of appearances (often used in combination): Washington D.C.'s Metro transit system has instituted random bag searches, and many travelers are just as unhappy about the security theater on the train as in the airport.Public health experts have said that the time and money spent on cleaning may be unnecessary hygiene theater.Companies need to go beyond diversity theater and commit to long-term, concrete metrics for change.Forget all his blustering about doing what's best for our city—it's just theater to please his union masters and protect his political base.

a natural formation of land rising by steps or gradations.

OTHER WORDS FOR theater

8 arena, site, stage.

See synonyms for theater on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of theater

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English theatre, from Latin theātrum, from Greek théātron “seeing place, theater,” equivalent to theā-, stem of theâsthai “to view” + -tron suffix denoting means or place

how to pronounce theater

Theater, an early Middle English borrowing from French, originally had its primary stress on the second syllable:

[French tey-ah-truh]. /French teɪˈɑ trə/. As with many early French borrowings ( beauty, carriage, marriage ), the stress moved to the first syllable, in conformity with a common English pattern of stress, and this pattern remains the standard one for theater today:

[thee-uh-ter]. /ˈθi ə tər/. A pronunciation with stress on the second syllable and the vowel

[ey], /eɪ/, as

[thee-ey-ter] /θiˈeɪ tər/ or sometimes

[thee-ey-ter] /ˈθiˌeɪ tər/ is characteristic chiefly of a nonstandard regional pronunciation in the United States that may be perceived as uneducated.

OTHER WORDS FROM theater

non·the·a·ter, adjectivepre·the·a·ter, adjective

Words nearby theater

Arabian Nights' Entertainments, The, Arbitration, The, thearchy, Art of Love, The, theat., theater, theatergoer, theater-in-the-round, theater of cruelty, theater of operations, theater of the absurd

How to use theater in a sentence

You can rent Bill & Ted Face the Music from FandangoNow, buy it from several different services, or see in your local theater, if you wish.
The essential kindness of Bill and Ted|Alissa Wilkinson|August 28, 2020|Vox
For the first time since pandemic lockdowns began in the US in March, a handful of films are coming out in theaters — but not digitally at the same time.
7 daring movie adaptations of literary classics|Allegra Frank|August 28, 2020|Vox
Even in states that are allowing movie theaters to reopen, though, not all of them will be welcoming guests back this weekend.
Are these big discounts enough to get you back into a movie theater?|dzanemorris|August 20, 2020|Fortune
On the highway, the darkness is as complete as that in the theater.
The first murder|Katie McLean|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review

On May 19, around two months into the pandemic, he stepped out of the operating theater and reached for his mobile phone, only to realize that he couldn’t load his emails.
How India became the world’s leader in internet shutdowns|Katie McLean|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
His surprise marriage to theater director Sophie Hunter may have broken hearts, but the squeals of delight were even louder.
All Your Internet Boyfriends Are Taken: Gosling, Cumberbatch, and now Joseph Gordon-Levitt|Melissa Leon|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Her mother had a musical theater background, so Malone grew up backstage, watching productions come to fruition.
Jena Malone’s Long, Strange Trip From Homelessness to Hollywood Stardom|Marlow Stern|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now hackers are threatening to bomb any theater that shows it.
Six Must-Read Stories About the Sony Hacks, Congo’s Forgotten Colonial Getaway and Another Woman’s Story of U-VA|The Daily Beast|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Regal Entertainment Group is the biggest and most geographically diverse theater company in the country.
The Right-Wing Billionaire Who Bowed to North Korea over ‘The Interview’|Asawin Suebsaeng|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The theater manager called security, and three moonlighting off-duty police deputies arrived.
How the U.S. Justice System Screws Prisoners with Disabilities|Elizabeth Picciuto|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By 1740, he was far enough removed from the theater to have a slightly different perspective on language.
A Letter from Mr. Cibber to Mr. Pope|Colley Cibber
Thus, twenty-nine years later, this theater was donated to Williamsburg to be used as a town hall.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
Although many British actors and musicians were participants in this theater, it often suffered from financial stress.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
The doors of this theater had been constructed in such a way that they only opened inwardly.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
The leading actors and actresses of the country played at the Richmond Theater with pride.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey