theatre

See also théâtre

English

Etymology

See theater. The -re spelling is due to influence from French théâtre.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (UK)

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Noun

theatre (plural theatres)

1. (UK) Alternative spelling of theater.
2. (US) Often used specifically of playhouses and drama, so as to distinguish from moviehouses and cinema.

Usage notes

• The spelling theatre is the main spelling in Commonwealth English, with theater being rare.
• The spelling theater is the predominant American spelling; it accounts for about 80% of usage in COCA (the major corpus of American English). People who work in the theatre industry in America, however, usually use the spelling "theatre".

Anagrams

• hat tree, teareth, tethera, theater, thereat

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Middle French

Noun

theatre m. (plural theatres)

1. theatre