Dictionary.com
definitions

theatrical

[ thee-a-tri-kuhl ]
/ θiˈæ trɪ kəl /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR theatrical ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective Also the·at·ric.

of or relating to the theater or dramatic presentations: theatrical performances.
suggestive of the theater or of acting; artificial, pompous, spectacular, or extravagantly histrionic: a theatrical display of grief.

noun

theatricals,
  1. dramatic performances, now especially as given by amateurs.
  2. artificial or histrionic actions.
a professional actor: a family of renowned theatricals.

RELATED CONTENT

8 Theatrical Terms For The StageRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
What Camp Is … And What Camp Isn’tThe word camp can be hard to pin down ... so what is it and where did it come from?
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

histrionics, acting, exhibitionism, stagecraft, theatrics

Nearby words

  1. theatines,
  2. theatre,
  3. theatre of cruelty,
  4. theatre of the absurd,
  5. theatre-in-the-round,
  6. theatrical film,
  7. theatricalism,
  8. theatricalize,
  9. theatricals,
  10. theatricism

Origin of theatrical

1550–60; < Late Latin theātric(us) < Greek theātrikós, equivalent to theā́tr(on) theater + -ikos -ic + -al1
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for theatricality

British Dictionary definitions for theatricality

theatrical

/ (θɪˈætrɪkəl) /

adjective

of or relating to the theatre or dramatic performances
exaggerated and affected in manner or behaviour; histrionic
Derived Formstheatricality or theatricalness, nountheatrically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for theatricality

theatrical

adj.

1550s, "pertaining to the theater," from theater + -ical. Sense of "stagy, histrionic" is attested from 1709.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper