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

Every tableau is rich with detail, both natural and industrial, and set to a score that features synth-y original songs written by Glander and Miya Folick (who also voices Billy’s love interest, Rozebud). —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025

Walkways crosshatch the sprawling space, immersing visitors in a stunning tableau that is both organic and otherworldly. —Alexandra Kirkman, Fortune, 22 July 2025

There’s a charming tableau in which Urrutia slowly joins in with a dance that her husband is trying to show her. —Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times, 29 May 2025

Anna and Tom, millennial expats in Berlin, rent out their home as an Airbnb whose surfaces present a tableau of perfection: Scandinavian armchairs, Japanese teapots, sunlight filtering through the emerald leaves of a perforated monstera plant. —Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025

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