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
Lauren Huff Published, EW.com, 21 June 2025
The singer-songwriter unveiled the vinyl edition of Hit Me Hard and Soft (Isolated Vocals), the a cappella version of her latest full-length effort.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
The film’s stark, gorgeous folk music performances — often delivered a cappella — had a big impact on the crowd.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 21 May 2025
Due to a technical issue, Underwood ended up singing the patriotic song a cappella, earning rave reviews for her performance.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 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 9 Jul. 2025.
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a cappella
adverb or adjectivefrom Italian a cappella "in chapel style"
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