Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
sitcom
sit‧com /ˈsɪtkɒm $ -kɑːm/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[Date: 1900-2000; Origin: situation comedy]
(situation comedy) a funny television programme in which the same characters appear in different situations each week
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THESAURUS
▪ programme British English, program American English /ˈprəʊɡræm/ something that you watch on television, or listen to on the radio: What’s your favourite television programme? | I watched an interesting programme about Egypt last night.
▪ show /ʃəʊ/ a programme on television or the radio, especially an informal one in which people talk together, take part in a game etc: a late-night talk show | game shows | She hosts a weekly call-in radio show called ‘Got a question?’
▪ documentary /ˌdɒkjɑˈmentəri◂ $ ˌdɑːk-/ a programme that gives you facts and information about a serious subject, such as history, science, or social problems: a documentary about homeless people | a 50-minute television documentary
▪ soap opera/soap /ˈsəʊp ˌɒpərə $ -ˌɑː-, səʊp/ a television or radio programme that tells an imaginary story about a group of people and their lives, and is often broadcast regularly for many years: the Australian soap opera ‘Neighbours’ | the huge success of television soaps
▪ sitcom /ˈsɪtkɒm $ -kɑːm/ an amusing programme in which there is a different story each week about the same group of people: the American sitcom ‘Friends’
▪ reality TV television programmes that show real people in funny situations or situations in which they must compete with each other. Often the people are filmed continuously for weeks or months: the reality TV show ‘Big Brother’ | The trouble with reality TV is that a lot of the time it’s really boring.
▪ webcast a programme, event etc that is broadcast on the Internet: Universities may record and broadcast some lectures as webcasts.
▪ podcast a file of recorded sound and sometimes pictures that you can ↑download from the Internet: The interview is available as a podcast.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
sitcom
sit·com [sitcom sitcoms] [ˈsɪtkɒm] [ˈsɪtkɑːm] (also formal ˌsituation ˈcomedy) noun countable, uncountable
a regular programme on television that shows the same characters in different amusing situations
• It's America's most popular sitcom.
• He has made the difficult leap from sitcom to the theatre.
See also: situation comedy
Word Origin:
1960s: abbreviation.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
situ ˌ ation ˈ comedy noun [ C or U ] ( informal sitcom )
a funny television or radio show in which the same characters appear in each programme in a different story
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
sitcom
/sɪtkɒm/
(sitcoms)
A sitcom is an amusing television drama series about a set of characters. Sitcom is an abbreviation for ‘situation comedy’.
N-COUNT
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
sitcom
sit·com /ˈsɪtˌkɑːm/ noun, pl -coms [count, noncount] : a show that is on television regularly and that is about a group of characters who are involved in different funny situations - called also situation comedy,