dramatization

noun

dra·​ma·​ti·​za·​tion ˌdra-mə-tə-ˈzā-shən 

ˌdrä-

1

: the action of dramatizing

2

: a dramatized version (as of a novel)

Synonyms

• drama
• play

Examples of dramatization in a Sentence

a dramatization of a true story

Recent Examples on the Web

Tipper’s death on Beechwood adds to the dramatization of the Sinclair sisters’ unhealthy competitive dynamic, with the audience earlier discovering that their mom had been secretly supporting them as their various antics led to draining their trust funds. —Alyssa Davis, People.com, 19 June 2025

But if you’re excited by the prospect of Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen playing JonBenét’s parents, this latest unnecessary dramatization may be for you. —Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 19 May 2025

These were dramatizations of dramatic times that Father Prevost had lived through as a missionary who found his voice, in Peru. —Mitra Taj, New York Times, 17 May 2025

Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenet Ramsey Summer on Paramount+ While several documentaries have explored what really happened to JonBenet Ramsey, the 6-year-old beauty pageant winner who was murdered in her home in Colorado in 1996, there have only been a few dramatizations of her story. —Lucy Ford, Time, 19 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dramatization

• self-dramatization

Rhymes for dramatization

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Medical Definition

dramatization

noun

dra·​ma·​ti·​za·​tion

variants or British dramatisation

ˌdram-ət-ə-ˈzā-shən, ˌdräm- 

: the transformation which in psychoanalytic theory the underlying dream thoughts undergo into dramatic and pictorial form before they can take part in the actual dream