Definition of Comedy

What is the definition of comedy? According to Dictionary.com, comedy is "any comic or humorous incident or series of incidents." While this is a great definition for general purposes, it is extremely broad and vague. So what is the real definition of comedy? Is it anything that makes you laugh? Is it something that every person sees differently or is it something that society as a whole recognizes?

Most people label things that make them laugh as comedy. Others say that being funny and being real comedy are two different and very separate things. If you use the latter definition of comedy then you are saying comedy is more "pure" or more of and art than just being funny. Some people say this because they think comedy is more profound and not just "spur of the moment." Every person has their own opinion of what comedy is. Some things can be hilarious to one person and boring to another - it just depends.

Most of the time, comedy isn't apparent when a situation is playing out. It is only after the fact, when a person looks back at the situation, that they laugh about it. Nearly every situation has some sort of humorous side if you look hard enough.

When trying to decide what is comical and what isn't, it probably isn't possible to make a clear and decisive choice. Since every person has their own opinion about what comedy is, coming to a conclusion and giving it a precise definition is nearly impossible. Maybe there is a reason that the given definition is so broad and vague. It's kind of funny when you think about it!!