theater

or the·a·tre

[ thee-uh-ter, theeuh- ]

/ ˈθi ə tər, ˈθiə- /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR theater 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 theater wept.

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 action; field of operations: the Pacific theater of combat during World War II.See also theater of war.

a natural formation of land rising by steps or gradations.

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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

SYNONYMS FOR theater

8 arena, site, stage.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR theater ON THESAURUS.COM

pronunciation note for 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

Example sentences from the Web for theater

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
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
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
After the show, Executive Chef Michael Franey explained the process by which the theater selects its menu.
Dinner at Nitehawk Cinema: ‘Christmas Vacation’ and a Beer in a Pear Tree|Rich Goldstein|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After such a barnstorming stage debut, and while “my heart is in theater,” screen acting intrigues him.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway|Tim Teeman|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They were to meet at the theater, dress there, and go up to the house in taxicabs.
Continuous Vaudeville|Will M. Cressy
Then he gaily sauntered on, until reaching the theater he stopped and made a number of inquiries.
The Strollers|Frederic S. Isham
Everybody brought fire-crackers to the theater, and at a certain time all the fire-crackers were set off.
The Boy With the U.S. Census|Francis Rolt-Wheeler
She was in the habit of going to the theater every night with me to help me to change my costumes for the different scenes.
The Bride of the Tomb and Queenie's Terrible Secret|Mrs. Alexander McVeigh Miller
These signatures comprise the "Who's Who" of the British theater.
Charles Frohman: Manager and Man|Isaac Frederick Marcosson and Daniel Frohman

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theater

or the·a·tre

noun

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Origin of theater

SYNONYMS FOR theater

pronunciation note for theater

OTHER WORDS FROM theater

Words nearby theater

Example sentences from the Web for theater

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

theater

or the·a·tre

noun

QUIZZES

IS YOUR DESERT PLANT KNOWLEDGE SUCCULENT OR DRIED UP?

Origin of theater

SYNONYMS FOR theater

pronunciation note for theater

OTHER WORDS FROM theater

Words nearby theater

Words related to theater

Example sentences from the Web for theater