bossa nova

noun bos·sa no·va \ ˌbä-sə-ˈnō-və \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

Definition of bossa nova

1 : popular music of Brazilian origin that is rhythmically related to the samba but with complex harmonies and improvised jazzlike passages

2 : a dance performed to bossa nova music

See bossa nova defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of bossa nova from the Web

The new song, which has already garnered more than 200,000 views on Youtube, starts with a bossa nova sample before the beat drops and Soto begins rapping.

— billboard venezuela, Billboard, "Venezuelan Rapper Big Soto Mixes Trap, Bossa Nova on New Single, 'Big Bang': Watch," 3 Mar. 2018
As a nation, Brazil has gained a reputation as a musical hub thanks to samba, bossa nova and tropicalia -- genres that reflect its history as a melting pot of African, European and indigenous cultures.

— fabiola moura, Bloomberg.com, "Brazilian Pop Star Crosses Borders With the Help of Spotify and YouTube," 6 Mar. 2018
Décor consists of industrial materials and autumnal hues, music ranges from bossa nova to Bowie, and the innovative food comes courtesy of the Indian chef Garima Arora, who worked previously at Copenhagen’s Noma restaurant and, yes, Gaggan.

— New York Times, "36 Hours in Bangkok," 15 Feb. 2018
But Souza’s far-reaching discography goes well beyond that one LP, with dabblings in bossa nova and modern classical.

— robert ham | for the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Here are 6 can't-miss shows at the 2018 PDX Jazz Festival," 6 Feb. 2018
The Elgart band’s repertoire shifted away from its earlier experiments in jazz into a polite lineup of big-band favorites, cha-chas and bossa nova standards.

— adam bernstein, Washington Post, "Larry Elgart, big-band leader with unlikely 1980s smash, ‘Hooked on Swing,’ dies at 95," 1 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bossa nova.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.