theatrical
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the theater or dramatic presentations.
theatrical performances.
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suggestive of the theater or of acting; artificial, pompous, spectacular, or extravagantly histrionic.
a theatrical display of grief.
- Synonyms:
- extravagant, stagy, melodramatic, exaggerated
noun
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theatricals,
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dramatic performances, now especially as given by amateurs.
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artificial or histrionic actions.
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a professional actor.
a family of renowned theatricals.
adjective
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of or relating to the theatre or dramatic performances
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exaggerated and affected in manner or behaviour; histrionic
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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half-theatricaladjective
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untheatricallyadverb
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quasi-theatricaladjective
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nontheatricaladjective
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semitheatricallyadverb
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quasi-theatricallyadverb
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theatricalnessnoun
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overtheatricaladjective
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semitheatricaladjective
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theatricallyadverb
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theatricalitynoun
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overtheatricalnessnoun
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semitheatricadjective
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untheatricadjective
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overtheatricallyadverb
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nontheatricallyadverb
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untheatricaladjective
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nontheatricadjective
Etymology
Origin of theatrical
1550–60; < Late Latin theātric ( us ) < Greek theātrikós, equivalent to theā́tr ( on ) theater + -ikos -ic + -al 1
Explanation
If something happens on a stage, you can describe it as theatrical. Even reading a grocery list out loud can be theatrical, if you do it in dramatic voice with an audience watching. An actor who works on Broadway rather than in Hollywood is theatrical, and a play can be described as a theatrical production. If it happens in a theater, or is related to theater, it's theatrical. You can also use the adjective theatrical to talk about behavior that seems like it belongs on a stage, like a little boy's melodramatic weeping when he discovers a cheese sandwich in his lunch instead of peanut butter and jelly.
Vocabulary lists containing theatrical
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.
"It's a disaster, environmentally speaking," worried Eveline Biaggini, 53, a theatrical costume director and former candidate for mayor in Fouju.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
“We believe the platform would be extraordinarily difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to replicate, particularly as blockbuster filmmaking becomes increasingly optimized around premium formats and immersive theatrical experiences,” he added.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
The casting of the great Tyne Daly in the role is reason enough to make the gender switch, but it’s all part of a recalibration of the values of this theatrical world.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
Bradley takes center stage in Maureen Footer’s “Feel the Floor,” a welcome contribution to theatrical dance history.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
His favorite old theatrical fantasy, the one in which he thought of himself as “Perry O’Parsons, The One-Man Symphony,” returned in the guise of a recurrent dream.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
