theatrical

1 of 2

adjective

the·​at·​ri·​cal thē-ˈa-tri-kəl 

variants or less commonly theatric

thē-ˈa-trik 

1

a

: of or relating to the theater or the presentation of plays

a theatrical costume

a theatrical troupe

a powerful theatrical performance

b

: of, relating to, or occurring in a movie theater

the theatrical release of a new film

"Give Me Liberty," the Milwaukee-made movie that received good notices at this year's Sundance Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival, will come home for its U.S. theatrical premiere, Aug. 22 at the Oriental Theatre.

—Chris Foran

2

: having qualities suggestive of a stage play or of an actor's performance : deliberately or exaggeratedly dramatic or emotional : histrionic

a theatrical gesture

a theatrical way of speaking

… pulls an enormous handkerchief from the inside breast pocket of his jacket and opens it with a theatrical flourish …

—Robert Little

theatricalism

thē-ˈa-tri-kə-ˌli-zəm 

noun

theatricality

thē-ˌa-trə-ˈka-lə-tē 

noun

theatrically

thē-ˈa-tri-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

theatrical

2 of 2

noun

1

theatricals plural

a

: the performance of plays

b

: dramatics

2

British : a professional actor

3

theatricals plural : showy or extravagant gestures

Synonyms of theatrical

Adjective

• dramatic

Noun

• drama
• theater
• stage
• production
• entertainment
• theatrics
• dramatics

Choose the Right Synonym for theatrical

dramatic, theatrical, histrionic, melodramatic mean having a character or an effect like that of acted plays.

dramatic applies to situations in life and literature that stir the imagination and emotions deeply.

a dramatic meeting of world leaders

theatrical implies a crude appeal through artificiality or exaggeration in gesture or vocal expression.

a theatrical oration

histrionic applies to tones, gestures, and motions and suggests a deliberate affectation or staginess.

a histrionic show of grief

melodramatic suggests an exaggerated emotionalism or an inappropriate theatricalism.

made a melodramatic plea

Examples of theatrical in a Sentence

Adjective

a politician who has a highly theatrical manner of speaking

after stepping out of their hired limousine, the prom couple made a theatrical entrance in their evening clothes

Noun

has been involved in amateur theatricals for most of his adult life

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Nearly four years after acquiring MGM for $8 billion, Amazon is unveiling its first full theatrical slate in 2026, with 13 films on deck through December. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 22 Mar. 2026

Gkids has acquired North American rights to the Cantonese-language film and is understood to be lining up a June theatrical release, while Goodfellas came on board for international sales after seeing the strong audience reaction to the film in Annecy. —Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2026

Noun

So far, the company’s foray into theatrical has been rocky, with several high-profile bombs and none of the kind of blockbusters that validate the studio’s expensive investment in the big screen. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 22 Mar. 2026

Koolhaas sang the joys of juxtapositions in his 1978 book Delirious New York, and here his firm has cultivated a distinctively New York–y jangle of forms in which the utilitarian becomes the theatrical. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1558, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1706, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

theatrical

adjective

the·​at·​ri·​cal

thē-ˈa-tri-kəl

1

: of or relating to the theater

a theatrical costume

2

: marked by pretended or excessive emotion

a theatrical speech

theatrically

-k(ə-)lē

adverb