dramatization

noun

dra·​ma·​ti·​za·​tion ˌdra-mə-tə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce dramatization (audio)
ˌdrä-
Synonyms of dramatizationnext
1
: the action of dramatizing
2
: a dramatized version (as of a novel)

Synonyms of dramatization

Examples of dramatization in a Sentence

a dramatization of a true story
Recent Examples on the Web
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Unfortunately for Izzo, there are decades of film refuting this as a media dramatization. Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026 With the precision of a great documentarian and the pace of an expert thriller director, Howard mounts an enviably well-rounded procedural dramatization of a story that captivated headlines in 2018. Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026 At the start of The Big Fake, a Netflix dramatization of one criminal’s involvement in the most tumultuous events in post-war Italy, Toni Chichiarelli (Pietro Castellitto) is a talented painter living hand-to-mouth as a portrait artist on the streets of Rome. Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Jan. 2026 The challenge is to say their lines in unison with the original speaker, voicing them with no dramatization or embellishment. Leah Abrams, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dramatization

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dramatization was in 1796

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Cite this Entry

“Dramatization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dramatization. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.

Medical Definition

dramatization

noun
dra·​ma·​ti·​za·​tion
variants or British dramatisation
: 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

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