: a bill (see bill entry 4 sense 5a) advertising a public performance or set of performances
A playbill—an early poster—advertising Shakespeare's Hamlet at Newcastle's original Theatre Royal in Mosley Street in December 1791 was discovered among prints bought in an auction sale …—
Evening Chronicle
Evening ChronicleSo the two began plastering up playbills and cultivating a badboy image.—Logan Hill
Logan Hill
—used for a theater program (see program entry 1 sense 2a)
Examples of playbill in a Sentence
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Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
In fact, the church has even advertised in playbills for the Broadway production.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Aug. 2025
In recent years, Burghardt wrote the Village Theatre’s playbill copy and publicity copy, Dolnics said.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
George Clooney, who is currently in a run of Good Night, and Good Luck, signed playbills at the stage door wearing a white Bronx Zoo cap.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 7 May 2025
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Noun
The show’s scenic design of an apartment filled with books and playbills and a chalkboard wall was designed by Atria Pirouzmand and Ali Roustaei, Janelle Arnold designed costumes, Evan Eason designed sound and Sammy Z Webster designed lighting.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
In fact, the church has even advertised in playbills for the Broadway production.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Aug. 2025
In recent years, Burghardt wrote the Village Theatre’s playbill copy and publicity copy, Dolnics said.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
George Clooney, who is currently in a run of Good Night, and Good Luck, signed playbills at the stage door wearing a white Bronx Zoo cap.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for playbill
Cite this Entry
“Playbill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/playbill. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
playbill
noun
play·bill
ˈplā-ˌbil 
: a poster advertising a play
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