1
: rhythm characterized by strong syncopation in the melody with a regularly accented accompaniment in stride-piano style
2
: music having ragtime rhythm
Examples of ragtime in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The award-winning blues guitarist and singer, known also for her intricate takes on ragtime, folk and other traditional genres, is a lap-slide master and acoustic educator who’s collaborating at this concert with the nimble clarinetist Leon Cotter of The California Honeydrops.
—
John Wenzel, Denver Post, 11 Dec. 2025
In the past century, the band has gone from 40 young men playing jazz and ragtime tunes to a diverse group of nearly 200 members who play all types of music.
—Marcella Baietto, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
There's a very purposeful blend of sound at work in Ragtime, with the upper-middle class elite bringing European operatic sensibilities to their tones while Coalhouse and his Harlem ilk usher in a sound tinged jaunty and sorrowful, with bold, assertive melodies: ragtime.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
Livingston’s musical style draws on ragtime, country-blues, swing, vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
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John Wenzel, Denver Post, 11 Dec. 2025
In the past century, the band has gone from 40 young men playing jazz and ragtime tunes to a diverse group of nearly 200 members who play all types of music.
—Marcella Baietto, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
There's a very purposeful blend of sound at work in Ragtime, with the upper-middle class elite bringing European operatic sensibilities to their tones while Coalhouse and his Harlem ilk usher in a sound tinged jaunty and sorrowful, with bold, assertive melodies: ragtime.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
Livingston’s musical style draws on ragtime, country-blues, swing, vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ragtime
Cite this Entry
“Ragtime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ragtime. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ragtime
noun
rag·time
ˈrag-ˌtīm 
1
: music played with a strong march-style rhythm and a lively melody with accented notes falling on beats that are not usually accented
2
: music having ragtime rhythm
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