Definition of a cappella
:without instrumental accompaniment
- The choir sang the chants a cappella.
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a cappella
play
adverb or adjective
a cap·pel·la
\
ˌä-kə-ˈpe-lə
\
variants:
or less commonly
a capella
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A cappella Has Italian Roots
A cappella arrived in English from Italian sometime around the late-18th century. In Italian, a cappella means "in chapel or choir style." Cappella is the Italian word for "chapel"; the English word chapel is ultimately (if independently) derived from the Medieval Latin word cappella, which is the source of the Italian cappella as well. Scholars once thought all "chapel style" music written before the 1600s was performed a cappella, but modern research has revealed that instruments might have doubled or substituted for some voices back then. Today a cappella describes a purely vocal performance.
Origin and Etymology of a cappella
borrowed from Italian a cappella "in chapel or choir style"
A CAPPELLA Defined for English Language Learners
a cappella
play
adverb
Definition of a cappella for English Language Learners
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: without instrumental music
Learn More about a cappella
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See words that rhyme with a cappella Nglish: Translation of a cappella for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about a cappella
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