the·at·ri·cal
thē-ˈa-tri-kəl 
variants
or less commonly theatric
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
Chris Foran2
: 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
Robert Little1
2
British
: a professional actor
3
theatricals plural
: showy or extravagant gestures
Synonyms
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 WebAlex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 June 2024
The reclassification comes as the film is set to make another theatrical rerelease in the U.K. for its 60th anniversary.
—Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 25 June 2024
Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 25 June 2024
In one of this year’s climaxes at the Tribeca Festival, Steven Spielberg showed off his first major studio theatrical release, Sugarland Express, which celebrates 50 years.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for theatrical 
Adjective
Outside of investments like Thrive’s, A24 has bolstered its production efforts with moneyed output deals, including the one signed at the end of 2023 that will see A24 theatrical movies air exclusively on HBO and stream only on Max.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 June 2024
The reclassification comes as the film is set to make another theatrical rerelease in the U.K. for its 60th anniversary.
—Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 25 June 2024
Noun
Freestyle Digital Media is planning a fall 2024 limited theatrical and VOD release.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 25 June 2024
In one of this year’s climaxes at the Tribeca Festival, Steven Spielberg showed off his first major studio theatrical release, Sugarland Express, which celebrates 50 years.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for theatrical
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'theatrical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Theatrical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theatrical. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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