theater

1 of 2

noun

the·​ater ˈthē-ə-tər How to pronounce theater (audio)
ˈthē-tər,
ˈthēə-tər,
 usually in Southern  ˈthē-ˌā-,
also
thē-ˈā- How to pronounce theater (audio)
variants or theatre
1
a
: a building or area for dramatic performances
b
: a building or area for showing motion pictures
c
: an outdoor structure for dramatic performances or spectacles in ancient Greece and Rome
2
a
: dramatic literature : plays
b
: dramatic representation as an art or profession : drama
3
: a place or sphere of enactment of usually significant events or action
the theater of public life
4
a
: a place rising by steps or gradations
a woody theater of stateliest viewJohn Milton
b
: a room often with rising tiers of seats for assemblies (as for lectures or surgical demonstrations)
5
a
: dramatic or theatrical quality or effectiveness
c
: entertainment in the form of a dramatic or diverting situation or series of events
their public feud made for good theater
6

theater

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or appropriate for use in a theater of operations
theater nuclear weapons

Examples of theater in a Sentence

Noun the oldest theater in the city the theater district in New York City The film is now showing in theaters. We enjoyed a weekend of music, dance, and theater. He was very fond of the theater and had purchased tickets for several performances. Her interests include theater and poetry. the theater of 16th-century England She majored in theater in college. a course in American theater His monologues made for good theater.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Liman, who showed up tonight (in a cowboy hat) for the film’s SXSW premiere, has reacted with howls of betrayal over the fact that his film, backed by Amazon Studios, is not going to be playing in movie theaters. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 Free advance screenings are available for most new movies, usually to generate buzz before a film is released in theaters or on streaming services. Laura Daily, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 The theater kid beneath her pop star persona had taken center stage. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2024 Love Lies Bleeding is in limited theaters now and opens wide on March 15. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 Friedel’s theater roles tend to the classics, Shakespeare in particular. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 This Friday, 16 years after the original film, Kung Fu Panda 4 hits theaters, bringing back Jack Black's lovable Dragon Warrior bear, Po. Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 Plus your choice of one of the following packages: Arts Package / symphony season tickets, theater season tickets, art museum membership and more. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 The latest is planned for Merriam Town Center, which is also home to a Cinemark movie theater and a Dick’s Sporting Goods, among other big-box chains. David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024
Adjective
My perspective is from a non-theater place. Christopher Arnott, courant.com, 23 June 2021 The rebirth of the Pantages Theatre as a venue for Broadway road shows brought audience members there for pre-theater meals. Linda Deutsch, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2023 Imax has unveiled a multi-theater deal with Cinema 21, Indonesia’s largest cinema chain, for ten new giant screens with laser projection systems. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2023 The best place for a pre-or post-theater meal and why. Shivani Vora, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2023 Your pre-theater meal just got a lot more exciting. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2022 Their hours of operation start at the pre-theater time of 5 p.m. and end at 2 a.m. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2022 Here are some trusty pre- and post-theater haunts to consider, ranging from most convenient to slightly less convenient, but still worthy. Megha McSwain, Chron, 24 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'theater.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English teatre, theatre, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French thueatre, teatre, borrowed from Latin theātrum "place for viewing dramatic performances," borrowed from Greek théātron, from theā́omai, theâsthai "to gaze at, view, watch, contemplate" (derivative of théā "act of seeing, sight, spectacle, performance," of uncertain origin) + -tron, suffix of instruments

Note: Doric thāéomai and the Syracusan form thāā have led to the assumption of an original *thāwā. Presumably related would be thaûma "wonder, astonishment, object of wonder or admiration, marvel" (see thaumaturge). If táphos "amazement" and synonymous thámbos are related, the alternation [w] / labial stop / -mb- (prenasalized stop?) suggests substratal origin (see R. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Brill, 2009), though the perfect téthēpa "(I) am astonished" reflects complete assimilation into Greek morphology.

Adjective

from attributive use of theater entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1c

Adjective

1977, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of theater was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near theater

Cite this Entry

“Theater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theater. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

theater

noun
the·​ater
variants or theatre
ˈthē-ət-ər,
ˈthi-ət-
1
: a building or area for dramatic performances or for showing movies
2
: a place like a theater
especially : a room often with rising rows of seats (as for a lecture)
3
: a place of significant events or action
a theater of war
4
: plays or the performance of plays
a course in American theater
Etymology

Noun

Middle English theatre "outdoor structure for watching public performances (in ancient Greece and Rome)," from early French theatre (same meaning), from Latin theatrum (same meaning), from Greek theatron, literally "a place for viewing," from theasthai "to view," from thea "action of seeing, sight, view" — related to theory

Medical Definition

theater

noun
the·​ater
variants or theatre
1
: a room often with rising tiers of seats for assemblies (as for lectures or surgical demonstrations)
2
usually theatre, British : a hospital operating room

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