marquee

noun mar·quee \ mär-ˈkē \

|Updated on: 1 Aug 2018

Definition of marquee

1 chiefly British : a large tent set up for an outdoor party, reception, or exhibition

2 a : a permanent canopy often of metal and glass projecting over an entrance (as of a hotel or theater)

The hotel doorman was stationed under the marquee.

b : a sign usually over the entrance of a theater or arena that displays the names of featured attractions and principal performers

The brightly lighted marquee displayed the title of the movie currently featured.

See marquee defined for English-language learners

See marquee defined for kids

Examples of marquee in a Sentence

She dreamed of seeing her name on the theater marquee.

Recent Examples of marquee from the Web

Robin Wright, who is pressing ahead as the marquee player on ‘‘House of Cards’’ after Kevin Spacey’s scandal-riddled ouster last fall, is finally speaking out about her former costar.

— the washington post, BostonGlobe.com, "Robin Wright opens up about ‘House of Cards’ costar Kevin Spacey: ‘I didn’t know the man’," 9 July 2018
There are multiple marquee players on Andrean’s team, and Thompson is one of them.

— mike hutton, Post-Tribune, "Hutton: Oakland recruit Clay Thompson stars as pitcher for Andrean three years after clinching state title with hit," 8 June 2018
This is going to be watched, Chris, as one of the marquee matchups.

— Fox News, "Will Trump authorize a retaliation against the Assad regime?," 9 Apr. 2018
The news might have been devastating to most any other fan who had traveled so far for a marquee matchup.

— jeff mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, "For Manu, still too soon to say goodbye," 9 Apr. 2018
If Jalen Tate stays out of foul trouble and Tyler Sharpe can provide similar defensive intensity, NKU can quiet its noisiest opponent in a marquee matchup.

— charlie hatch, Cincinnati.com, "Preview: Northern Kentucky facing matchup at Wright State on Friday night," 15 Feb. 2018
George Hill entered Sunday's marquee matchup against Boston ranked third in the league in 3-point percentage.

— chris fedor, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Cavaliers go back to their old, fun bombs-away style," 12 Feb. 2018
Some other celebs also weighed in on the marquee matchup.

— gil kaufman, Billboard, "Philly Natives Pink & Questlove Are Freaking About the Eagles Going to Super Bowl LII Against the Patriots," 22 Jan. 2018
West Allis Hale’s Peyton Mocco went into the 160-pound final that represented the marquee matchup at state, a battle with fellow defending state champion Tyler Dow of Stoughton, but Mocco won convincingly, 11-2.

— jr radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Here are the teams and athletes from Milwaukee area who won state titles in 2017-18," 20 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'marquee.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of marquee

modification of French marquise, literally, marchioness

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1690

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Performing Arts Terms

diva, dramaturgy, loge, prestidigitation, proscenium, supernumerary, zany

marquee

adjective

Definition of marquee

: having or associated with the name recognition and attraction of one whose name appears on a marquee : big-name, star

marquee athletes

marquee events

See marquee defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of marquee from the Web

Gigabit Internet has become the marquee speed target for Internet providers over the past few years.

— mike freeman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Cox, Spectrum upgrade networks to bring gigabit Internet speeds to San Diego," 11 July 2018
The Golden Eagles also have scheduled marquee home games against Kansas State (Dec. 1) and Wisconsin (Dec. 8).

— ben steele, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "New arena wows Marquette men's basketball players, coaches," 3 May 2018
And marquee Republican challengers are stepping up to run for the Senate, even as House GOP retirements pile up.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Trump gets schooled in Syria on how much his words matter," 9 Apr. 2018
This marked one of the lighter moments in the fight for House District 99, which has become a costly, marquee battle, pitting two men whose families have been longtime friends.

— anna m. tinsley, star-telegram, "Ruh Roh. This Texas election went to the dogs | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 1 Mar. 2018
The Open era in tennis — the period when professionals were rightfully permitted to play the marquee events — will have its 50th birthday next year.

— christopher clarey, New York Times, "At U.S. Open, Women Surprise and New Rules Get a Trial Run," 11 Sep. 2017
The impact on you at home: In its recent earnings report, Nintendo said that sales were equal for both the Nintendo Switch and its marquee launch title, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

— ian paul, PCWorld, "Nintendo's beloved Legend of Zelda may be coming to phones," 15 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of marquee

see ¹marquee

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1946

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

MARQUEE Defined for English Language Learners

marquee

noun

Definition of marquee for English Language Learners

: a covered structure over the entrance to a building (such as a hotel or theater)
: a sign over the entrance to a theater that shows the name of the show, movie, play, etc., and the names of the main performers
: a large tent that is set up for an outdoor event (such as a party)