: a television series that involves a continuing cast of characters in a succession of comedic circumstances : situation comedy
… lame, formulaic sitcoms driven by an overinsistent laugh track.—
Ted Cox
Like many classic sitcoms, this show is episodic, so feel free to dive in anywhere you want.—Greg Morabito
Didn’t some guy named Jerry play himself on an NBC sitcom called Seinfeld?—Benjamin Svetkey
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
On April 1, Brunson kicked off the night with a monologue that highlighted the differences between her award-winning comedy series and the hit ’90s sitcom Friends.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2023
On first sight, this Fox sitcom seemed tailored entirely (and narrowly) to spotlight the specific pixie-like charms of its star, Zooey Deschanel.
—Jason Bailey, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2023
Then, of course, Shields grew up and became a high-profile celebrity virgin, a sitcom star, went to public war with Tom Cruise and much more.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Mar. 2023
April’s crop of departures includes the Zooey Deschanel sitcom New Girl, Edgar Wright’s comic adaptation/video game homage Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and all three seasons of Ash vs. Evil Dead starring Bruce Campbell.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2023
The reason is star Kevin James, an undeniably funny sitcom guy.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2023
View full post on Instagram Because Mayim frequently does her hair for her hosting gig and for her Fox sitcom Call Me Kat, her loyal fanbase loved seeing the actress express herself in this unique way.
—Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 30 Mar. 2023
But the root of that humiliation is unlike most every sitcom character before them: They’ve been captured by the wrong cameras.
—Niela Orr, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2023
What follows is an excerpt from the sitcom chapter.
—Jon Burlingame, Variety, 28 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘sitcom.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
situation comedy
First Known Use
1956, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of sitcom was
in 1956
Dictionary Entries Near sitcom
Cite this Entry
“Sitcom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sitcom. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on sitcom
Last Updated:
7 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
Asked by: Kenyon Walker
Score: 4.6/5
(6 votes)
A sitcom, clipping for situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode.
Why is it called a sitcom?
The term sitcom derives from the word situation comedy. This popular format of entertainment is a weekly show that entails a regular cast of characters in a sequence of episodes which mainly take place in the same location. A sitcom is a make-believe for 24 minutes a week.
What is the difference between a TV show and a sitcom?
A «series» is an episodic television show. … A «sitcom» (short for situation comedy) is usually a half hour TV show that makes you laugh because the story and dialog is amusing, and not because there is a comedian telling jokes or because people are performing funny skits. All sitcoms are series.
What is the difference between sitcom and comedy?
As nouns the difference between comedy and sitcom
is that comedy is archaic greece a choric song of celebration or revel while sitcom is a situation comedy: an episodic comedy television program with a plot or storyline based around a particular humorous situation.
What is considered the best sitcom of all time?
The highest-rated live-action sitcom of all time is none other than Friends. The show ran for ten seasons between 1994 and 2004 and continues to gain attention from nostalgic fans, with the reunion show gaining a huge amount of attention when it aired in 2021.
18 related questions found
What is the most successful TV show in history?
One of the most successful shows in television history, “Seinfeld” premiered in 1989 and ran for nine seasons on NBC. By 2014, the series had generated $3.1 billion since entering syndication in 1995, according to Vulture.
What’s the most successful sitcom?
This Is the All-Time Best Sitcom in TV History — Can You Guess What It Is?
- CBS via Getty Images. …
- 7: I Love Lucy (1951–1957) …
- 6: The Honeymooners (1955–1956) …
- 5: The Larry Sanders Show (1992–1998) …
- 4: Seinfeld (1989–1998) …
- 3: Cheers (1982–1993) …
- 2: The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977)
What is an example of a sitcom?
I Love Lucy (1950’s) was an early sitcom; it was one that featured a married couple who had zany misunderstandings. On 30 Rock (2000’s), the situation was a bunch of oddballs in their office making a TV show. On Barney Miller, (1970’s) the situation was a normal police captain surrounded by weird coworkers.
What makes a show a sitcom?
A sitcom, clipping for situational comedy (situation comedy in the U.S.), is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. … Sitcoms originated in radio, but today are found mostly on television as one of its dominant narrative forms.
What’s the difference between sitcom and soap opera?
SITCOM Dramatised series in a humorous style and performed by a more or less fixed cast. 50. SOAP Dramatised serial programme dealing with easy-to-grasp situations performed by a limited cast.
What is longest running sitcom?
1 The Simpsons (1989 — Present)
The Simpsons win the grand prize for being the longest-running sitcom of all time. It’s been on air since 1989, after all.
What was the first TV sitcom?
The first television sitcom was Pinwright´s Progress (BBC, UK, 1946-47) starring character actor James Hayter (UK) as J Pinwright, owner of the smallest multiple store in the world. The first US sitcom was Mary Kay and Johnny (DuMont 1947), domestic tales of New York newlyweds.
Is Friends considered a sitcom?
Friends is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons.
Is breaking bad a sitcom?
Breaking Bad is an American neo-Western crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. The show aired on AMC from January 20, 2008, to September 29, 2013, consisting of five seasons for a total of 62 episodes.
Is Family Guy an American?
Family Guy is an American adult animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane and developed by MacFarlane and David Zuckerman for the Fox Broadcasting Company that premiered on January 31, 1999. … The family was conceived by MacFarlane after developing two animated films, The Life of Larry and Larry & Steve.
Is the Simpsons a sitcom?
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. … The show is set in the fictional town of Springfield and parodies American culture and society, television, and the human condition.
What makes a good sitcom?
Strong writing. Once in a while a truly bright situation comedy comes along — thoughtful, good-hearted, and smart enough to take on real human issues and in 22-1/2 minutes tell a good story.
How long does it take to film a sitcom episode?
This slow, try-it-once-more procedure is why a standard sitcom taping can take about four hours (to this day, the ’90s sitcom Friends remains infamous in Hollywood for taking six or seven laborious hours to bang out), but it’s also why, given a talented cast and writing staff, the process is rarely boring.
Is the office the best sitcom ever?
This is a very important scientific study, obviously
The US version of The Office has been scientifically determined to be the funniest sitcom. … The Office came out on top, with an average of one minute and 45 seconds of laughter per hour.
What is the best TV comedy of all time?
The 44 Best Comedy Series of All Time
- 8 ‘Arrested Development’ …
- 7 ‘Seinfeld’ …
- 6 ‘Insecure’ …
- 5 ‘Friends’ Original run: 1994-2004. …
- 4 ‘The Good Place’ Original run: 2016-2020. …
- 3 ‘Parks and Recreation’ Original run: 2009-2015. …
- 2 ‘Saturday Night Live’ Original run: 1975-present. …
- 1 ‘I Love Lucy’ Original run: 1951-1957.
What actor has been in the most sitcoms?
Here’s the full list:
- John Carradine (351)
- Mickey Rooney (335)
- Danny Trejo (317)
- Fred Willard (291)
- Sir Christopher Lee (265)
- Stephen Tobolowsky (251)
- Michael Ironside (247)
- Robert Loggia (228)
Why Seinfeld is the greatest sitcom of all time?
Indie Wire claims that the reason Seinfeld was so popular is that it broke the traditional comedy formula. There’s weren’t plot arcs or character development. Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer never grew or changed as the series progressed.
What is the #1 show in the world?
NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES—“Game of Thrones,” “Stranger Things” and “SpongeBob Squarepants” are Guinness World Record holders, according to “The Guinness World Records 2021 Edition.”
What is the #1 TV show in America?
Top TV shows by total viewer numbers in the U.S. 2020-2021
The most watched TV show in the United States in the 2020-2021 season was NFL Sunday Night Football, with nearly nearly 17 million viewers, followed by NFL Thursday Night Football, with around 13.4 million viewers.
How do TV shows earn money?
The producer receives the budget they need to make the show, and the filming process begins. The network, or broadcaster, then receives their money back through commercials. Ads are the number one way that TV shows make money. … There need to be enough people watching the ads for the TV show to make money.
комедия положений
существительное
- комедия положений
Мои примеры
Словосочетания
a pilot for a new sitcom — пилотная серия нового ситкома 
Примеры с переводом
The show is just another TV sitcom retread.
Это просто очередная переделка комедийного сериала.
The network debuts a new sitcom tonight.
Вечером телесеть запускает премьеру нового ситкома.
They hired the hot new Hollywood jokester to write the sitcom script.
Они наняли этого суперпопулярного голливудского юмориста написать сценарий данной комедии.
That sitcom star is still a bud, so all he needs right now are looks and personality.
Эта звезда сериалов — всё ещё подросток, так что всё, что ему сейчас нужно — это привлекательная внешность и яркая индивидуальность
The sitcom was offbeat and interesting in its first season, but has since become predictable and stodgy.
На протяжении первого сезона этот ситком был нешаблонным и интересным, но потом стал предсказуемым и нудным.
The racy sitcom frequently satirizes exactly the sort of prude who would like to see the show taken off the air.
Этот пикантный ситком часто высмеивает именно тех ханжей, которые хотели бы, чтобы его сняли с эфира.
Примеры, ожидающие перевода
…another sitcom featuring wisecracking kids? whoopee… 
…the sitcom sends up the “trials and tribulations” of the rich and famous…
…the roomful of unsung scriveners that it takes to churn out a weekly sitcom…
Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.
Формы слова
noun
ед. ч.(singular): sitcom
мн. ч.(plural): sitcoms
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Yes, sitcom can be considered an acronym.
The ODO definition is a bit too restrictive, if you ask me.
Compare it to the OED, which has two distinct senses of the word: the first is identical to initialism (i.e., when each letter in the acronym is pronounced individually); the second is:
A word formed from the initial letters of other words or (occas.) from the initial parts of syllables taken from other words, the whole being pronounced as a single word (such as NATO, RADA). [My emphasis]
The Merriam-Webster definition is also more inclusive:
a word (as NATO, radar, or laser) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term
Both these definitions tally with the very first two sentences in the Wikipedia article on acronyms:
An acronym is an abbreviation formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. These components may be individual letters (as in laser) or parts of words (as in Benelux and Ameslan).
All this does not mean that ‘acronym’ is the first thing people think of when they hear sitcom—it is an option, but I would not call it the ideal description. Sitcom is a more typical case of blending, so if you are simply looking for a word to describe sitcom (rather than specifically wondering whether you can describe it as an acronym), I would use that instead.