theater

/ˈθiədər/
/ˈθɪətə/
IPA guide

Other forms: theaters

If you are sitting in a crowd of people watching actors on a stage, you're probably in a theater. If the performance is projected on a large screen, you're in a movie theater.

The Greek word for theater (theatron) comes from the verb theasthai, meaning “behold.” You are likely to behold a play or a film inside a theater. If you've dedicated your life to theater, you are probably an actor, director or playwright. Remember when you yelled “fire!” in a crowded theater and got arrested? That wasn't funny.

Definitions of theater
  1. noun
    a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented
    synonyms: house, theatre
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    types:
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    arena theater, theater in the round
    a theater arranged with seats around at least three sides of the stage
    cinema, movie house, movie theater, movie theatre, picture palace
    a theater where films are shown
    dinner theater, dinner theatre
    a theater at which dinner is included in the price of admission
    home theater, home theatre
    television and video equipment designed to reproduce in the home the experience of being in a movie theater
    little theater, little theatre
    a small theater for experimental drama or collegiate or community groups
    music hall, vaudeville theater, vaudeville theatre
    a theater in which vaudeville is staged
    opera, opera house
    a building where musical dramas are performed
    bioscope
    a South African movie theater
    fleapit
    an old shabby movie theater
    multiplex
    a movie theater than has several different auditoriums in the same building
    type of:
    building, edifice
    a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
  2. noun
    the art of writing and producing plays
    synonyms: dramatic art, dramatics, dramaturgy, theatre
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    types:
    stage
    the theater as a profession (usually `the stage')
    type of:
    communicating, communication
    the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information
  3. noun
    a region in which active military operations are in progress
    “he served in the Vietnam theater for three years”
    synonyms: field, field of operations, theater of operations, theatre, theatre of operations
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    type of:
    region
    a large indefinite location on the surface of the Earth
Pronunciation
US
/ˈθiədər/
UK
/ˈθɪətə/
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