# comedy

/ˈkɑmədi/ (US) · /kˈɒmədi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/comedy
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. humorous entertainment

noun · CEFR A2

movies, plays, or shows that are funny and intended to make you laugh.

For teachers: entertainment consisting of jokes, satire, or humorous sketches intended to provoke laughter.

- I usually watch a comedy when I feel stressed because I need a good laugh.
- The festival features a wide variety of comedy, ranging from traditional stand-up to experimental improvisational theatre.

Usage: Uncountable when referring to the genre or the quality of being funny.

### 2. a funny film or play

noun · CEFR A2

a specific movie, play, or book that has a funny story and usually a happy ending.

For teachers: a dramatic work that is light and humorous in tone, often concluding with a positive resolution for the characters.

- We went to see a romantic comedy at the cinema last night.
- Shakespeare's early comedies often rely on cases of mistaken identity and complex romantic entanglements to drive the plot.

Usage: Countable when referring to a specific creative work.

### 3. a funny situation

noun · CEFR B2

a real-life event or situation that is funny or ridiculous.

For teachers: a humorous or absurd event or sequence of occurrences in real life.

- The whole trip was a comedy of errors, starting with us losing our passports.
- The meeting descended into pure comedy when the manager accidentally projected his private shopping list onto the wall.

Usage: Often used with 'of errors' to describe a series of funny mistakes.

### 4. medieval narrative

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Archaic

an old type of long poem or story that ends happily, even if it is not always funny.

For teachers: a medieval narrative poem written in a style between tragedy and elegy, typically featuring a happy or prosperous conclusion.

- Dante's Divine Comedy is one of the most famous poems in world history.
- In the medieval tradition, a comedy was defined by its movement from misfortune to a joyful resolution rather than by its capacity to elicit laughter.

Teaching tip: Modern students often find this sense confusing because works like Dante's 'Divine Comedy' are not 'funny' in the modern sense.

## Examples

- We watched a great comedy last night and laughed for hours.
- The local theater group is performing a classic comedy this weekend to raise money for charity.
- While the play begins with a series of misunderstandings that threaten the social order, it ultimately adheres to the conventions of comedy by resolving every conflict through a series of marriages.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.