theatrical
Americanadjective
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- extravagant, stagy, melodramatic, exaggerated
noun
-
theatricals,
-
dramatic performances, now especially as given by amateurs.
-
artificial or histrionic actions.
-
-
a professional actor.
a family of renowned theatricals.
adjective
-
of or relating to the theatre or dramatic performances
-
exaggerated and affected in manner or behaviour; histrionic
Other Word Forms
- half-theatrical adjective
- nontheatric adjective
- nontheatrical adjective
- nontheatrically adverb
- overtheatrical adjective
- overtheatrically adverb
- overtheatricalness noun
- quasi-theatrical adjective
- quasi-theatrically adverb
- semitheatric adjective
- semitheatrical adjective
- semitheatrically adverb
- theatricality noun
- theatrically adverb
- theatricalness noun
- untheatric adjective
- untheatrical adjective
- untheatrically adverb
Etymology
Origin of theatrical
1550–60; < Late Latin theātric ( us ) < Greek theātrikós, equivalent to theā́tr ( on ) theater + -ikos -ic + -al 1
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.
A famously theatrical monologue, given by a man as police arrested him at a Chinese restaurant in Australia, has officially been preserved by the country's national archive.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
The author argues that Bovino’s inflammatory rhetoric and theatrical enforcement style backfired, with his unsubstantiated claim that slain ICU nurse Alex Pretti wanted to “massacre law enforcement” particularly damaging public perception of immigration enforcement efforts.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
Domain’s new fund will focus on investments in film libraries, television assets and music catalogs along with other entertainment-related areas, such as books, theatrical productions and sports.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
Paramount is a more logical steward of the traditional theatrical model, Cameron argued.
From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026
“If my understanding of theatrical custom is correct, the interval will soon be over, and the actors will have to return to the theater to perform the second act. We simply must hide until then.”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
