- 1 [countable] a building or an outdoor area where plays and similar types of entertainment are performed Broadway theatres an open-air theatre How often do you go to the theatre? see also lecture theatre Wordfindertheatreartistic director, auditorium, balcony, box office, circle, director, foyer, stage, the stalls, theatre Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivelarge, little, small, … verb + theatre/theatergo to, visit, enter, … theatre/theater + nounseat, ticket, design, … prepositionat a/the theatre, in a/the theatre See full entry See related entries: Public spaces
- 2 (also movie theater) (both North American English) (British English cinema) [countable] a building in which films/movies are shown Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivelarge, little, small, … verb + theatre/theatergo to, visit, enter, … theatre/theater + nounseat, ticket, design, … prepositionat a/the theatre, in a/the theatre See full entry
- 3 [uncountable] plays considered as entertainment an evening of live music and theatre (British English) I like music, theatre and cinema. current ideas about what makes good theatre (= what makes good entertainment when performed) Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivegood, great, live, … … of theatre/theaterpiece verb + theatre/theaterstudy theatre/theater + nounstudies, critic, piece, … See full entry
- 4 [uncountable] (also the theatre [singular]) the work of writing, producing and acting in plays I want to work in theatre. He was essentially a man of the theatre. Oxford Collocations Dictionary verb + theatre/theaterbe in, work in, go into, … theatre/theater + noundirector, impresario, producer, … See full entry
- 5 [countable, uncountable] (British English) = operating theatre a theatre sister (= a nurse who helps during operations) He's still in theatre. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveoperating verb + theatretake to theatre + nounnurse, sister, staff, … prepositionin (the) theatre See full entry
- 6[countable, usually singular] theatre (of war, etc.) (formal) the place in which a war or fighting takes place an intelligence officer in the Pacific theatre Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin theatrum, from Greek theatron, from theasthai ‘behold’.Extra examples He wants to go into the theatre when he finishes university. He writes the sort of dialogue that makes good theatre. He’s already been taken to theatre for the operation. His speech was a great piece of political theatre. I haven’t been to the theatre for a long time. She was in the operating theatre for two hours. The Chancellor’s speech was an absorbing piece of political theatre. The city’s first purpose-built theatre is nearing completion. The pier has a unique little puppet theatre. The theatre was packed for the opening night. There was some good fringe theatre at the festival. There’s a bar in the theatre. We saw some good street theatre while we were in Paris. We were at the theatre last night. an hour-long theatre piece the Toronto theatre scene How often do you go to the theatre? She left the theatre a few minutes after the curtain fell. The play challenges current ideas about what makes good theatre. an evening of music and theatre
(especially US English theater) noun jump to other results
BrE BrE//ˈθɪətə(r)//; NAmE NAmE//ˈθiːətər//
Public spaces
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