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Added 9 October 2026

comedy

/ˈkɒmədi/ noun

In Latin: comoedia Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about comedy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

a choric song of celebration or revel, especially in Ancient Greece
a light, amusing play with a happy ending
A Midsummer Night's Dream is among Shakespeare's most famous comedies.
a narrative poem with an agreeable ending (e.g., The Divine Comedy)

Origin

Inherited from Middle English comedie, borrowed from Middle French comedie, from Latin cōmoedia, borrowed from Ancient Greek κωμῳδῐ́ᾱ (kōmōidĭ́ā), from κῶμος (kômos, “revel, carousing”) + ᾠδή (ōidḗ, “song”), or from κῶμος (kômos, “revel, carousing”) + ἀοιδός (aoidós, “singer, bard”). Doublet of commedia.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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