Meanings
nounlegitimate theater (countable and uncountable, plural legitimate theaters)
plural legitimate theaters · alternative Commonwealth legitimate theatre
- uncountableSerious drama, as opposed to farce or musical theater.
[while watching "Planet of the Apes", the musical] I love legitimate theater
1996, Jack Barth, “A Fish Called Selma”, in The Simpsons, spoken by Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta) - countableA theater that performs serious dramas.
Synonyms & antonyms
Opposite
Origin
A reference to the British Licensing Act 1737.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
legitimate theater. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/legitimate%20theater
MLA
“legitimate theater.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/legitimate%20theater. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “legitimate theater,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/legitimate%20theater.
Source: legitimate theater on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.