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 greater Dionysia were held in the city of Athens in the month of March, and were connected with the natural feeling of joy at the approach of summer.

From The Browning Cyclop?dia A Guide to the Study of the Works of Robert Browning by Berdoe, Edward