theatre
Americannoun
noun
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a building designed for the performance of plays, operas, etc
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( as modifier )
a theatre ticket
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( in combination )
a theatregoer
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a large room or hall, usually with a raised platform and tiered seats for an audience, used for lectures, film shows, etc
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Also called: operating theatre. a room in a hospital or other medical centre equipped for surgical operations
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plays regarded collectively as a form of art
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the world of actors, theatrical companies, etc
the glamour of the theatre
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a setting for dramatic or important events
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writing that is suitable for dramatic presentation
a good piece of theatre
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the usual word for cinema
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a major area of military activity
the theatre of operations
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a circular or semicircular open-air building with tiers of seats
Etymology
Origin of theatre
C14: from Latin theātrum, from Greek theatron place for viewing, from theasthai to look at; related to Greek thauma miracle
Explanation
A theatre is the place where plays are performed, especially in England, because the normal American spelling of theatre is theater. If you're looking for a night of drama and astonishment, try going to the theatre. Theatre comes from the Ancient Greek theatron, which means a place for showing, or performing. Now we call the place and the stuff performed the same thing. There are theatres where other things happen than plays. A theatre of war is the area in which a war is taking place. If you're fascinated by war but don't have the nerve to be a soldier, why not make theatre about war?
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.
"The Pacific is our home, not a theatre for geopolitical competition," Palau President Surangel Whipps said in an interview on Sunday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Curry first put his stamp on the character of the riotous scientist on stage in the upstairs theatre at London's Royal Court in 1973.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The actor lights up the stage eight shows a week as Lumiere, the servant-turned-candelabra in Disney’s touring production of “Beauty and the Beast,” currently at the Hollywood Pantages theatre through Sept. 6.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Speaking of her love of the arts to the same newspaper, Law joked: "I've got to have my funeral in the afternoon, curtain up 2.30pm, so people can get to the theatre afterwards."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Now here was Tim calling Moody’s name—his real name—and jogging down the theatre wing toward him.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
