Farce Meaning
/fɑːs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA style of humor marked by broad improbabilities with little regard to regularity or method.
nounA motion picture or play featuring this style of humor.
Sentence Examples
Even before Reagan and the Supreme Court stifled it, OSHA was a farce.
This is a farce.
Elon Musk has proven capitalism to be a farce.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The so-called trial was a complete ____ that mocked the entire legal system.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The committee's hearing was a complete ____, as the outcome had already been decided in advance.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Middle French farce (“farce (style of humor); stuffing”) (in the latter sense, via Middle English fars, farsse), from Old French farse, from Medieval Latin farsa, from the feminine perfect passive participle of Latin farciō (“to stuff”). The theatre sense alludes to the pleasant and varied character of certain stuffed food items. Doublet of farse.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language[…]; his clerks […] understood him very well. If he had written a love letter, or a farce, or a ballade, or a story, no one, either clerks, or friends, or compositors, would have understood anything but a word here and a word there."
— 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
"The first match in the magnificent new national stadium was a Euro 2012 qualifier between Romania and France that soon descended into farce as the pitch cut up and players struggled to maintain their footing. Amorebieta at times seemed to be paying homage to that game, but nobody else seemed to have a problem; it was just that Falcao was far better than him."
— 2012 May 9, Jonathan Wilson, “Europa League: Radamel Falcao's Atlético Madrid rout Athletic Bilbao”, in the Guardian:
"The United States, he declared, was "a farce controlled by dirty, hook-nosed, circumcised Jew bastards.""
— 2019, Stephanie Butnick, Liel Leibovitz, Mark Oppenheimer, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia - From Abraham to Zabar's and Everything in Between:
"The lunch […] consisted […] of […] lobster mayonnaise, cold game sausages, an immense veal and ham pie farced with eggs, truffles, and numberless delicious flavours; besides kickshaws, creams and sweetmeats."
— 1923, Walter de la Mare, Seaton's Aunt:
"The first principles of religion should not be farced with school points and private tenets."
— 1678, Robert Sanderson, Pax Ecclesiae:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The so-called trial was a complete ____ that mocked the entire legal system.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The committee's hearing was a complete ____, as the outcome had already been decided in advance.