noun
(theater) irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play
• Topics: ↑dramaturgy, ↑dramatic art, ↑dramatics, ↑theater, ↑theatre
• Hypernyms: ↑irony
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a situation in a play when a character's words carry an extra meaning to the audience because they know more than the character, especially about what is going to happen
Useful english dictionary. 2012.