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Origin and history of dramatic

dramatic(adj.)

1580s, "of or pertaining to acted drama," from Late Latin dramaticus, from Greek dramatikos "pertaining to plays," from drama (genitive dramatos; see drama). Meaning "full of action and striking display, characterized by force and animation in action or expression, fit for a drama" is from 1725. Dramatic irony, "irony inherent in a drama and understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the play," is recorded from 1907. Related: Dramatical; dramatically.

also from 1580s

Entries linking to dramatic

drama(n.)

1510s, "a composition presenting in dialogue a course of human action, the description of a story converted into the action of a play," from Late Latin drama "play, drama," from Greek drama (genitive dramatos) "action, deed; play, spectacle," from drāo "to do, make, act, perform" (especially some great deed, whether good or bad), which is of uncertain etymology.

Meaning "theatrical literature generally, drama as art" is from 1660s. Extended sense of "sequence of events or actions leading up to a climax" is by 1714. Drama queen "person who habitually responds to situations in a melodramatic way" is attested by 1992.

operatic(adj.)

"pertaining to, designed for, or resembling opera," 1749, from opera on model of dramatic.

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    striking
    1610s, "that strikes," in a physical sense, present-participle adjective from strike (v.). The meaning "producing a vivid impression, standing out, prominent, conspicuous" is by 1752, from the verb in the sense of "catch the fancy of" (1590s). Related: Strikingly; strikingness. A
    melodrama
    1784 (1782 as melo drame), "a dramatic composition in which music is used," from French mélodrame (1772), from Greek melos...later use the musical element gradually ceased to be an essential feature of the 'melodrama', and the name now denotes a dramatic...[OED] The shift toward "a romantic and sensational dramatic piece with a happy ending" is evident by 1883....
    opera
    "a drama sung" [Klein], "a form of extended dramatic composition in which music is essential and predominant," 1640s, from...Auden, 1961] As a branch of dramatic art, it is attested from 1759....
    docudrama
    The first so-called appears to have been written as a stage play, "We Call to Mind," a "dramatic presentation of the development...
    rehearsal
    Sense in theater and music, "act or process of studying by practice or preparatory exercise, a meeting of musical or dramatic...
    Munchausen
    As a syndrome involving feigned dramatic illness, it is attested from 1951....
    interpretation
    Meaning "dramatic or musical representation" is from 1880....
    adequate
    1610s, "equal to what is needed or desired, sufficient," from Latin adaequatus "equalized," past participle of adaequare "to make equal to, to level with," from ad "to" (see ad-) + aequare "make level," from aequus "equal, even" (see equal (adj.)). The sense is of being "equal to
    Mary
    fem. proper name, Old English Maria, Marie, name of the mother of Jesus, from Latin Maria, from Greek Mariam, Maria, from Aramaic Maryam, from Hebrew Miryam, name of the sister of Moses (Exodus xv), a word of unknown origin, said to mean literally "rebellion." The nursery rhyme "
    cataract
    early 15c., "a waterfall, floodgate, furious rush of water," from Latin cataracta "waterfall," from Greek katarhaktēs "waterfall, broken water; a kind of portcullis," noun use of an adjective compound meaning "swooping, down-rushing," from kata "down" (see cata-). The second elem

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