theatrical

1 of 2

adjective

the·​at·​ri·​cal thē-ˈa-tri-kəl 

variants or less commonly theatric

thē-ˈa-trik 

1

a

: of or relating to the theater or the presentation of plays

a theatrical costume

a theatrical troupe

a powerful theatrical performance

b

: of, relating to, or occurring in a movie theater

the theatrical release of a new film

"Give Me Liberty," the Milwaukee-made movie that received good notices at this year's Sundance Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival, will come home for its U.S. theatrical premiere, Aug. 22 at the Oriental Theatre.

—Chris Foran

2

: having qualities suggestive of a stage play or of an actor's performance : deliberately or exaggeratedly dramatic or emotional : histrionic

a theatrical gesture

a theatrical way of speaking

… pulls an enormous handkerchief from the inside breast pocket of his jacket and opens it with a theatrical flourish …

—Robert Little

theatricalism

thē-ˈa-tri-kə-ˌli-zəm 

noun

theatricality

thē-ˌa-trə-ˈka-lə-tē 

noun

theatrically

thē-ˈa-tri-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

theatrical

2 of 2

noun

1

theatricals plural

a

: the performance of plays

b

: dramatics

2

British : a professional actor

3

theatricals plural : showy or extravagant gestures

Synonyms

Adjective

• dramatic
• hammy
• histrionic
• melodramatic
• stagy
• stagey

Noun

• drama
• dramatics
• stage
• theater
• theatre
• theatrics

Choose the Right Synonym for theatrical

dramatic, theatrical, histrionic, melodramatic mean having a character or an effect like that of acted plays.

dramatic applies to situations in life and literature that stir the imagination and emotions deeply.

a dramatic meeting of world leaders

theatrical implies a crude appeal through artificiality or exaggeration in gesture or vocal expression.

a theatrical oration

histrionic applies to tones, gestures, and motions and suggests a deliberate affectation or staginess.

a histrionic show of grief

melodramatic suggests an exaggerated emotionalism or an inappropriate theatricalism.

made a melodramatic plea

Examples of theatrical in a Sentence

Adjective

a politician who has a highly theatrical manner of speaking

after stepping out of their hired limousine, the prom couple made a theatrical entrance in their evening clothes

Noun

has been involved in amateur theatricals for most of his adult life

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Bluey movie is set for a theatrical premiere in 2027, followed by a streaming release on Disney+. 10 Shows Like Bluey to Watch Now Bluey is 2024’s No. 1 series on streaming, per the release, and has won numerous accolades including an Emmy and a BAFTA Award. —Jen Juneau, People.com, 17 Dec. 2024

A couple of vintage cartoons and an original theatrical trailer round out the latest essential package from Warners’ boutique label. —Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2024

Noun

Aside from just a few appearances, including the 1988 theatrical Who Framed Roger Rabbit? —Marc Berman, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

Cuckoo is also coming to Hulu, following its tour of the festival circuit earlier this year and its summer theatrical release starring Euphoria's Hunter Schafer. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1558, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1683, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

theatrical

adjective

the·​at·​ri·​cal

thē-ˈa-tri-kəl

1

: of or relating to the theater

a theatrical costume

2

: marked by pretended or excessive emotion

a theatrical speech

theatrically

-k(ə-)lē

adverb