costume drama
noun
: a movie that is set in the past in which the actors are dressed like people from the past
Examples of costume drama in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the costume drama based on Guy de Maupassant’s 1885 novel of the same name, Pattinson portrayed an ambitious and amoral social striver, a former soldier who seeks to improve his fortunes by seducing the wives (played by Christina Ricci, Uma Thurman and Kristin Scott Thomas) of powerful men.
—
Kevin Cassidy, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2025
Prior to today, the period costume drama hadn’t earned a SAG Award nomination since 2021, when Regé Jean-Page was still riding high on his breakout role.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2025
At their best, the Hammer period horrors approached a serious-minded costume drama as invaded by a variety of murderous predators.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024
With plenty of palace intrigue and a winking Favourite-esque sense of humor, The Serpent Queen is far from a stuffy costume drama.
—Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 31 July 2024
The festival will also screen 2002 hit costume drama Devdas, in which Khan plays a man whose life spirals out of control after his family forbids him from marrying his childhood sweetheart.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 July 2024
This one’s a costume drama called The Favourite, and Stone plays a scheming social climber in the court of Queen Anne.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 11 Jan. 2024
Both events may take place behind closed doors, but the costume drama will be there for all to see.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
What the series share is a tone that splits the difference between prestige costume drama, high melodrama, and fairy tale (the Elizabeths come from a family that practices magic).
—Judy Berman, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
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.
Kevin Cassidy, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2025
Prior to today, the period costume drama hadn’t earned a SAG Award nomination since 2021, when Regé Jean-Page was still riding high on his breakout role.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2025
At their best, the Hammer period horrors approached a serious-minded costume drama as invaded by a variety of murderous predators.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024
With plenty of palace intrigue and a winking Favourite-esque sense of humor, The Serpent Queen is far from a stuffy costume drama.
—Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 31 July 2024
The festival will also screen 2002 hit costume drama Devdas, in which Khan plays a man whose life spirals out of control after his family forbids him from marrying his childhood sweetheart.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 July 2024
This one’s a costume drama called The Favourite, and Stone plays a scheming social climber in the court of Queen Anne.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 11 Jan. 2024
Both events may take place behind closed doors, but the costume drama will be there for all to see.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
What the series share is a tone that splits the difference between prestige costume drama, high melodrama, and fairy tale (the Elizabeths come from a family that practices magic).
—Judy Berman, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Costume drama.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/costume%20drama. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share