a cappella
adverb or adjective
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A Cappella Has Italian Roots
A cappella arrived in English in the 18th century via the Italian phrase a cappella, meaning "in chapel or choir style." (Medieval Latin capella, meaning "chapel," is the source of English chapel.) The a cappella style reached preeminence in the late 16th century in the music that composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina wrote for the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican. Because no independent instrumental parts were written down, scholars once thought that the choir sang unaccompanied, but current evidence makes clear that an organ or other instruments doubled some or several of the vocal parts. Regardless, today a cappella describes a purely vocal performance.
Examples of a cappella in a Sentence
Alex Harring, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025
Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will feature twinkling lights, magical garlands and cheerful wreaths, plus traditional holiday a cappella performances from The Frog Choir.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
Practically every performance, whether a cappella or accompanied by instrumental, became a communal experience, with the audience singing along to Tony!
—Essence, 24 Sep. 2025
An award-winning La Jolla ensemble is gearing up for a show full of sublime harmonies and a cappella tunes.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a cappella
Cite this Entry
“A cappella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20cappella. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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a cappella
adverb or adjectivefrom Italian a cappella "in chapel style"
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