plural arias also arie ˈär-ē-ˌā How to pronounce aria (audio)
1
: air, melody, tune
specifically : an accompanied, elaborate melody sung (as in an opera) by a single voice
enjoyed the soprano's romantic aria
2
: a striking solo performance (as in a movie)
… Russell Crowe's performance in Gladiator was all about the physical stuff—it was a brute-force aria of fighting and flexing and unleashing hell …Jeff Gordinier
3
: a written or spoken passage or text likened to a dramatic or emotional operatic solo
… a plainspoken but moving aria on the joys of rural living …Lauren Collins

Examples of aria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Along the way, Schubert’s music — arias and lieder, and other excerpts — is strung together with slight alterations, particularly in the arrangements by Robert Percival that, while occasionally anachronistic, maintain the show’s dramatic heft and a sense of consistency. Joshua Barone, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024 Dawson received early training in classical voice, including operatic arias, which nurtured her interest in the field. Michael J. Solender, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2024 Projections will create the sleek and elegant world of the wealthy nobleman and the singers may possibly move off the stage and into the auditorium to deliver some verses from their arias. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024 Eventually, Don Giovanni is forced to pay for his exploits in dramatic fashion, but not before some of the most famous arias, duets and ensembles in the opera canon are performed. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024 Opera on Tap Event at Wonderland Ballroom Opera on Tap spreads the gospel of opera by taking the music out of stuffy black-tie concert halls and into more humble surroundings, where listeners can focus on the emotion and beauty of the arias without getting lost in costumes and staging. Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2023 Torn between fragile grace and murderous rage — sometimes in the same aria — the role of Ermione requires enough control to seem properly out of control, and enough humor to lend her crackpot tendencies some tenderness. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2023 And just as Florencia will never find her Cristóbal, the aria never finds its heart. Vulture, 17 Nov. 2023 French opera at the end of the 17th century had not yet become codified with recitatives and arias. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aria.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, atmospheric air, modification of Latin aer

First Known Use

1723, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aria was in 1723

Dictionary Entries Near aria

Cite this Entry

“Aria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aria. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

aria

noun
: a song in an opera sung by a single voice

Geographical Definition

Aria

geographical name

ˈer-ē-ə How to pronounce Aria (audio)
ˈa-rē-ə,
ə-ˈrī-ə
1
an eastern province of the ancient Persian Empire; district now in northwestern Afghanistan and eastern Iran
2
see herat

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