tableau

noun

tab·​leau ˈta-ˌblō How to pronounce tableau (audio) ta-ˈblō How to pronounce tableau (audio)
plural tableaux ˈta-ˌblōz How to pronounce tableau (audio)
ta-ˈblōz
also tableaus
1
: a graphic description or representation : picture
winsome tableaux of old-fashioned literary daysJ. D. Hart
2
: a striking or artistic grouping : arrangement, scene
3
[short for tableau vivant (from French, literally, living picture)] : a depiction of a scene usually presented on a stage by silent and motionless costumed participants

Examples of tableau in a Sentence

The houses are grouped together in a charming tableau.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Try remaining a sourpuss while assembling a Spielberg-worthy tableau for Brody, Hooper, Quint, and, of course, Bruce the shark. Joe Reid, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025 The film premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on Saturday night, and director Dylan Southern revealed the album's role in influencing a striking tableau in the film during a post-screening Q&A. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 27 Jan. 2025 The camera tilts down to some blood-red roses with prickly stems set against a white picket fence, a tableau that is followed by shots of a fire truck, more flowers and children. Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025 This collaboration breathes fresh energy into the genre, creating a vivid tableau of love, deception, and undercover pursuits. Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tableau

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French tablel, diminutive of table, from Old French

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tableau was in 1660

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tableau.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tableau. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

tableau

noun
tab·​leau ˈtab-ˌlō How to pronounce tableau (audio) ta-ˈblō How to pronounce tableau (audio)
plural tableaux -ˌlōz How to pronounce tableau (audio)
-blōz
also tableaus
: a scene or event shown by a group of persons in costume who remain silent and motionless

More from Merriam-Webster on tableau

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