comedy

noun

com·​e·​dy ˈkä-mə-dē How to pronounce comedy (audio)
plural comedies
1
a
: a medieval narrative that ends happily
Dante's Divine Comedy
b
: a literary work written in a comic style or treating a comic theme
the ancient Roman comedies of Plautus
2
a
: a drama of light and amusing character and typically with a happy ending
a comedy about parenthood
b
: the genre of dramatic literature dealing with the comic or with the serious in a light or satirical manner compare tragedy
3
: a ludicrous or farcical event or series of events
a comedy of errors
4
a
: the comic element
the comedy of many life situations
b
: humorous entertainment
nightclub comedy

Examples of comedy in a Sentence

The new comedy is the network's most popular television show. The movie includes a lot of physical comedy. We couldn't help laughing out loud at the comedy of the situation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
She was recently set to star in and executive produce comedy pilot Phony at Hulu and she’ll also be seen in Prime Video’s Overcompensating. Denise Petski, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024 At the International Emmys, Daily Dose of Sunshine competes in the comedy category with the Australian series Deadloch, the Argentinian series Division Palermo and the French series HPI Season 3. Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024 The film is packed with a who’s who of SNL stars through the years, with particular attention paid to the women who Radner helped pave the way for in the world of comedy (see: Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Melissa McCarthy). Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024 The beloved Max comedy series returned for season 3 on Nov. 21. Jordana Comiter, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for comedy 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin comoedia, from Latin, drama with a happy ending, from Greek kōmōidia, from kōmos revel + aeidein to sing — more at ode

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of comedy was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near comedy

Cite this Entry

“Comedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comedy. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

comedy

noun
com·​e·​dy ˈkäm-əd-ē How to pronounce comedy (audio)
plural comedies
1
: a light amusing play with a happy ending
2
: a comic literary work
3
a
: an amusing or ridiculous event
b
: humorous entertainment

More from Merriam-Webster on comedy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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