aria

noun

ˈär-ē-ə 

plural arias also arie ˈär-ē-ˌā 

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

Instead, a narrator gives a somewhat notion of what’s what in the language of the audience, as is Akhnaten’s great aria, a hymn to Aten (god of the sun). —Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026

There will be cocktails, dinner and arias performed by the 2025-26 Artists in Residence. —Libby Smith, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026

Many arias from the 1800s include repeated verses to give the singers the opportunity to show off their coloratura skills by embellishing the sections of the songs the second time around. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026

Soprano Ana María Martínez performs the aria in the film (watch the video below). —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, atmospheric air, modification of Latin aer

First Known Use

1723, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for aria

• acharya
• calcarea
• cercaria
• filaria
• fragaria
• setaria
• alternaria
• armillaria
• crotalaria
• urticaria
• radiolaria
• sharia

Kids Definition

aria

noun

ˈär-ē-ə 

: a song in an opera sung by a single voice

Geographical Definition

Aria

geographical name

ˈer-ē-ə 

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