theater

A1 Topic:Art & Music

Also spelled theatre

US /ˈθi(ə)tɚ/ UK /ˈθiː.ə.tə/ See IPA manual

Freq #2638

Meanings

1

noun
A building where plays or films are shown.

We sat in the back row of the theater and watched the show.
2

noun
The activity or art of writing and performing plays.

I worked in theater for twenty-five years.
3

noun
An area where a war or military action takes place.

His grandfather served in the Pacific theater during the war.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a building where plays or... house

2 noun · the activity or art of... dramatics

3 noun · an area where a war or... field

Word family

Forms theaters

Derived forms theater-in-the-roundtheaterettetheatergoertheatergoingtheaterlandtheaterlesstheatermakertheaterwidetheatraltheatremakertheatric theatrical

Related forms amphitheater

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English theater, theatre, from Old French theatre, from Latin theātrum, from Ancient Greek θέᾱτρον (théātron, “a place for viewing”), from θεᾰ́ομαι (theắomai, “to see", "to watch", "to observe”). Doublet of tiatr.

*dʰeyh₂- Proto-Indo-European theater Middle English theatre Old French theātrum Latin θέᾱτρον Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

External links

# theater

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈθi(ə)tɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈθiː.ə.tə/
**Frequency rank:** 2638

## Meanings
1. A building where plays or films are shown.
2. The activity or art of writing and performing plays.
3. An area where a war or military action takes place.

## Examples
- We sat in the back row of the theater and watched the show.
- I worked in theater for twenty-five years.
- His grandfather served in the Pacific theater during the war.

## Derived Forms
- theater-in-the-round
- theaterette
- theatergoer
- theatergoing
- theaterland
- theaterless
- theatermaker
- theaterwide
- theatral
- theatremaker
- theatric
- theatrical

## Related Forms
- amphitheater

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *dʰeyh₂-
- Root: theater
- Root: theatre
- Root: theātrum
- Root: θέᾱτρον

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English theater, theatre, from Old French theatre, from Latin theātrum, from Ancient Greek θέᾱτρον (théātron, “a place for viewing”), from θεᾰ́ομαι (theắomai, “to see", "to watch", "to observe”). Doublet of tiatr.

## AI Etymology
Theater is inherited from Middle English theater, theatre, from Old French theatre, from Latin theātrum, from Ancient Greek θέᾱτρον (théātron, “a place for viewing”), from θεᾰ́ομαι (theắomai, “to see", "to watch", "to observe”). Doublet of tiatr. In present-day use, it can mean a building where plays or films are shown, or the activity or art of writing and performing plays.

## Topics
- Art & Music

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theater

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