libretto

noun

li·​bret·​to lə-ˈbre-(ˌ)tō 

plural librettos or libretti lə-ˈbre-(ˌ)tē 

1

: the text of a work (such as an opera) for the musical theater

2

: the book containing a libretto

Examples of libretto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Deirdre O’Mahony interviews Irish farmers who’ve likewise watched their labor and craft ravaged by capitalism, but turns their woes into a memorable libretto set to striking aerial views of their fields. —Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 12 June 2026

Beneath the dry legal verbiage, the timeline described in the 28-page complaint reads almost like the libretto of a five-act opera. —Mary Carole McCauley, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026

Bardo would also be a cinch to adapt because parts of this book already resemble a libretto. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026

With a libretto by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Nilo Cruz, the opera is a recasting of the Orpheus-and-Euridice story, with artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera replacing the mythical Greeks. —Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 2 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian, diminutive of libro book, from Latin libr-, liber

First Known Use

1742, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for libretto

• hereto
• magneto
• palmetto
• stiletto
• whereto
• allegretto
• lazaretto
• ghetto
• seto

Kids Definition

libretto

noun

li·​bret·​to lə-ˈbret-ō 

plural librettos or libretti -ē 

: the text of an opera or musical