A troupe is a group of performers who work together, usually traveling from place to place to put on shows. When a dance troupe visits your town, you might see them perform ballet at the local theater. A troupe of actors might tour the country performing the same play in different cities each week.

The word specifically refers to entertainers: dancers, actors, acrobats, or musicians who rehearse together and perform as a team. You wouldn't call a soccer team or a class a troupe, but you would call a group of circus performers working together a circus troupe. In the past, theater troupes traveled by wagon or train, bringing entertainment to small towns that didn't have their own theaters. Today, professional troupes still tour, though they usually travel by bus or plane.

What makes a group a troupe instead of just a bunch of performers? The members work together regularly, practice together, and depend on each other to make the show successful. A single juggler isn't a troupe, but five jugglers performing a coordinated routine together would be.