was originally a droll, petty show, or entertainment, exhibited by charlatans, and their buffoons, in the open street to gather the crowd together. —The word is French, and signifies literally, "force-meat or stuffing." It was applied on this occasion, no doubt, on account of the variety of jests, gibes, tricks, &c. wherewith the entertainment was interlarded. Some authors derive farce from the Latin facelia; others from the Celtic farce, "mockery;" others from the Latin farcir, "to stuff."

At present it is removed from the street to the theatre; and instead of being performed by merry-andrews to amuse the rabble, is acted by comedians and becomes the entertainment of a polite audience. Poets have reformed the wildness of the primitive farces, and brought them to the taste and manner of comedy. The difference between the two on our stage is, that comedy keeps to nature and probability, and therefore is confined to certain laws prescribed by ancient critics; whereas farce defallows of all laws, or rather sets them aside on occasion. Its end is purely to make merry; and it sticks at nothing which may contribute thereto, however wild and extravagant. Hence the dialogue is usually low, the persons of inferior rank, the fable or action trivial or ridiculous, and nature and truth every where heightened and exaggerated to afford the more palpable ridicule.