Dionysia

American  

[dahy-uh-nish-ee-uh, -nis-] / ˌdaɪ əˈnɪʃ i ə, -ˈnɪs- /

plural noun

1. the orgiastic and dramatic festivals held periodically in honor of Dionysus, especially those in Attica, from which Greek comedy and tragedy developed.

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Dionysia British  

/ ˌdaɪəˈnɪzɪə /

plural noun

1. (in ancient Greece) festivals of the god Dionysus: a source of Athenian drama

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Etymology

Origin of Dionysia

1890–95; < Latin < Greek

Example Sentences

By melding civic ritual with dramatic art, the yearly City Dionysia and related festivals fostered an essential cultural space for reflection and debate, a forum that shaped democratic deliberation.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2025

Their plays premiered at the annual City Dionysia, a festival that was held on the slopes of the Acropolis each spring, drawing large audiences.

From New York Times • Sep. 12, 2023

We know it wasn’t a comedy because, with a bias that persists to this day, the city Dionysia didn’t get around to recognizing komoidía alongside tragoidia until three years later.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2018

The words “being boring” took me back to the early ’70s and an invitation I had received to the Great Urban Dionysia Party in Newcastle, England, where I grew up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2018

The Dionysia also were called Demetria in honour of Demetrius Poliorcetes, upon whom divine honours were conferred by the Athenians.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 10 "David, St" to "Demidov" by Various