dramaturgy

noun

dra·​ma·​tur·​gy ˈdra-mə-ˌtər-jē 

ˈdrä-

: the art or technique of dramatic composition and theatrical representation

dramaturgic

ˌdra-mə-ˈtər-jik 

ˌdrä-

adjective

or dramaturgical

ˌdra-mə-ˈtər-ji-kəl 

ˌdrä-

dramaturgically

ˌdra-mə-ˈtər-ji-k(ə-)lē 

ˌdrä-

adverb

Examples of dramaturgy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Christian Munck never owned one of the 80 million copies sold, but dug deep into the dramaturgy once he was cast as Langdon in the Palo Alto Players’ production. —David John Chávez, Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2026

The festival’s lead underwriters ar Paula and Brian Powers and the festival is overseen by Danielle Mages Amato, the Globe’s director of new plays and dramaturgy. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026

The installation’s theatrical nature summoned the eerie backstage dramaturgy of Marcel Duchamp’s Étant donnés, 1946–66, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. —Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026

New plays require sensitivity, people-handling, collaborative dramaturgy — in a word, midwifery. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

German Dramaturgie, from Greek dramatourgia dramatic composition, from dramat-, drama + -ourgia -urgy

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined above