tableau

noun

tab·​leau ˈta-ˌblō  ta-ˈblō 

plural tableaux ˈta-ˌblōz 

ta-ˈblōz

also tableaus

1

: a graphic description or representation : picture

… winsome tableaux of old-fashioned literary days …

—J. D. Hart

2

: a striking or artistic grouping : arrangement, scene

3

[short for tableau vivant (from French, literally, living picture)] : a depiction of a scene usually presented on a stage by silent and motionless costumed participants

Examples of tableau in a Sentence

The houses are grouped together in a charming tableau.

Recent Examples on the Web

Bad Bunny took us through tableaux of Latinx joy, with different expressions of beautiful hair in each vignette. —Marci Robin, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026

Skiers and snowboarders flew in front of a tableau of skyscrapers and an out-of-commission smokestack. —Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026

In this regard, as in the movie’s intricate tableau-like aesthetic, Manuel’s art is in the tradition of Jacques Tati and Wes Anderson. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026

The ubiquity of the state’s homelessness has become one of its most distinctive traits—a haunting tableau of its unaffordability and social disorder. —Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French tablel, diminutive of table, from Old French

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing tableau

• tableau curtain

Rhymes for tableau

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

Kids Definition

tableau

noun

tab·​leau ˈtab-ˌlō  ta-ˈblō 

plural tableaux -ˌlōz 

-blōz

also tableaus

: a scene or event shown by a group of persons in costume who remain silent and motionless