farcical
/ˈfɑːrsɪkəl/
adjective
Origin
French
farce — a comic dramatic piece; a joke, prank
Overview
Meaning Now
- Relating to or resembling farce; absurdly exaggerated and comic.
- So ridiculous or improbable that it seems laughable or unbelievable.
Literal older meaning
pertaining to farce
Language path
French → English
Earliest form
farcical
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
The adjective belongs to a long English tradition of describing events, performances, or situations as ‘farcical’ when they seem like a comic performance rather than serious reality. The term is especially common in criticism of politics, institutions, and public events that appear chaotic or absurd.
Evolution
- Old French
farce
“stuffing; a joke, comic interlude”
The word developed from the culinary sense ‘stuffing’ to the theatrical and comic senses by metaphorical extension.
- Middle French
farce
“a comic play or humorous interruption”
- English, 18th–19th century
farce
“a light comic dramatic work; something ludicrously absurd”
English adopted the theatrical term and then formed the adjective farcical.
- Modern English
farcical
“absurdly comic; ridiculously unreal or inept”
Connections
Word parts
farce
root
comic play; absurd joke
-ical
suffix
forming adjectives meaning ‘pertaining to’ or ‘characterized by’
Related across languages
French
farce
comic piece; prank
Spanish
farsa
farce; sham
Italian
farsa
farce; sham
Explore next
Related to farcical
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.