theatrical

[thee-a-tri-kuh l]

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.

Origin of theatrical

1550–60; < Late Latin theātric(us) < Greek theātrikós, equivalent to theā́tr(on) theater + -ikos -ic + -al¹

Related formsthe·at·ri·cal·i·ty

[thee-a-tri-kal-i-tee] /θiˌæ trɪˈkæl ɪ ti/, the·at·ri·cal·ness, nounthe·at·ri·cal·ly, adverbhalf-the·at·ri·cal, adjectivenon·the·at·ric, adjectivenon·the·at·ri·cal, adjectivenon·the·at·ri·cal·ly, adverbo·ver·the·at·ri·cal, adjectiveo·ver·the·at·ri·cal·ly, adverbo·ver·the·at·ri·cal·ness, nounqua·si-the·at·ri·cal, adjectivequa·si-the·at·ri·cal·ly, adverbsem·i·the·at·ric, adjectivesem·i·the·at·ri·cal, adjectivesem·i·the·at·ri·cal·ly, adverbun·the·at·ric, adjectiveun·the·at·ri·cal, adjectiveun·the·at·ri·cal·ly, adverb

Synonyms

See more synonyms for theatrical on Thesaurus.com

2. exaggerated, melodramatic, stagy, extravagant.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for theatricality

Contemporary Examples

I think the story feels so real to people that despite its theatricality and surrealism, they often dwell on the realism.
Rebecca Miller on Broadway’s ‘Death of a Salesman’ Revival
Rebecca Miller
June 1, 2012
There is just a lot of creativity and theatricality in performers who happen to be gay.
Neil Patrick Harris Hosts the Tonys
Kevin Sessums
June 10, 2011
What it did do, however, was remind everyone what fashion was before it became thick with theatricality and flamboyance.
Galliano Erased at Christian Dior
Robin Givhan
March 7, 2011
To add to the theatricality, actors are engaged to entertain guests with performances of the most offending passages.
Worst Sex Writing of the Year
Olivia Cole
December 2, 2009

Historical Examples

It was a mere piece of theatricality, such as it was not in Scaramouche's nature to forgo.
Scaramouche
Rafael Sabatini
The theatricality in that thought was repulsive to his sober sense.
The Forsyte Saga, Volume III.
John Galsworthy
Genius lies in the instincts; goodness too; all consciousness is theatricality.
Philosophy and The Social Problem
Will Durant
It is the note of theatricality, of extravagance, of excess.
The Great Events by Famous Historians, v. 13
Various
There should be moderation even in the shrinking from theatricality.
Play-Making
William Archer

British Dictionary definitions for theatricality

theatrical

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.

theatrical

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}theatrical

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for theatricality

Contemporary Examples

I think the story feels so real to people that despite its theatricality and surrealism, they often dwell on the realism.

There is just a lot of creativity and theatricality in performers who happen to be gay.

What it did do, however, was remind everyone what fashion was before it became thick with theatricality and flamboyance.

To add to the theatricality, actors are engaged to entertain guests with performances of the most offending passages.

Historical Examples

It was a mere piece of theatricality, such as it was not in Scaramouche's nature to forgo.

The theatricality in that thought was repulsive to his sober sense.

Genius lies in the instincts; goodness too; all consciousness is theatricality.

It is the note of theatricality, of extravagance, of excess.

There should be moderation even in the shrinking from theatricality.

theatrical

Word Origin and History for theatricality

theatrical

adj.

Origin of theatrical