a cappella

adverb or adjective

a cap·​pel·​la ˌä-kə-ˈpe-lə How to pronounce a cappella (audio)
variants or less commonly a capella
: without instrumental accompaniment
The choir sang the chants a cappella.

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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

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The singer and cellist speaks with PEOPLE ahead of his debut solo album Dawn of a Misfit coming out, revealing how the rapper inspired him to branch out from the a cappella group he's known for. Marina Watts, People.com, 9 May 2025 Grande’s webstore sold three exclusive variants of the download edition of the album: the 19-track edition, a version with the 19 tracks plus instrumentals of the same cuts, and another version with the 19 tracks and a cappella renditions of each cut (all with alternative cover artwork). Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2025 This 12-member, all-male a cappella vocal ensemble is on tour. San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025 Grande’s webstore offered three exclusive download versions, including the 19-song edition, a version that included instrumentals of each cut, and another featuring a cappella versions of all the tracks. Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for a cappella

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian a cappella "in chapel or choir style"

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of a cappella was in 1785

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Cite this Entry

“A cappella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20cappella. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

a cappella

adverb or adjective
a cap·​pel·​la
variants also a capella
: without accompanying instrumental music
sing a cappella
Etymology

from Italian a cappella "in chapel style"

More from Merriam-Webster on a cappella

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