cabaret

noun

cab·​a·​ret ˌka-bə-ˈrā How to pronounce cabaret (audio)
ˈka-bə-ˌrā
Synonyms of cabaret
1
archaic : a shop selling wines and liquors
2
a
: a restaurant serving liquor and providing entertainment (as by singers or dancers) : nightclub
b
: the show provided at a cabaret

Synonyms of cabaret

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Examples of cabaret in a Sentence

a singing superstar who got her start singing in the cabarets of New York City
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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Brand, then a rising stand-up comedian, was performing in a cabaret on the fringe of the conference in the English coastal town of Bournemouth. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 The two were hardly the only people out that day on the bustling stretch of cabarets. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 The 65-minute show at the Wallis, which moves to South Coast Repertory on Thursday, blends cabaret, memoir and comedy, with songs about motherhood and perimenopause. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 The inaugural event brings together ballroom, film, drag, cabaret, wellness activities, panel discussions, visual and performing arts and nightlife under one umbrella. — Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cabaret

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French dialect (Picard or Walloon), from Middle Dutch, alteration of cambret, cameret, from Middle French dialect (Picard) camberete small room, ultimately from Late Latin camera — more at chamber

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cabaret was in 1655

Rhymes for cabaret

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Browse Nearby Words

cabane
cabaret
Cabarine red MB
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Cite this Entry

“Cabaret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cabaret. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cabaret

noun
cab·​a·​ret ˌkab-ə-ˈrā How to pronounce cabaret (audio)
ˈkab-ə-ˌrā
: nightclub

More from Merriam-Webster on cabaret

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cabaret

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