Vaudeville
//ˈvɔ.d(ə).vɪl// noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A style of multi-act theatrical entertainment which originated from France and flourished in Europe and North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. historical, uncountable
"Mr. Sterling was born in Baltimore on June 24, 1915, to Jack Sexton and Edna Cable, veteran performers in vaudeville, showboats and stock companies."
- 2 a variety show with songs and comic acts etc. wordnet
- 3 An entertainment in this style. countable, historical
"“Me, Myself and I,” directed by Emily Mann and engagingly acted by a cast that includes the invaluable Albee veteran Brian Murray, is in the tradition of Mr. Albee’s mid- and late-career works like “The Marriage Play” and “The Play About the Baby”: fragmented philosophical vaudevilles that turn the most fundamental questions of identity into verbal soft-shoes."
Example
More examples"What do you know about vaudeville?"
Etymology
Borrowed from French vaudeville.
Related phrases
More for "vaudeville"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.