castrato
noun
cas·tra·to
ka-ˈsträ-(ˌ)tō 
kə-
plural castrati
ka-ˈsträ-tē
kə-
: a singer castrated before puberty to preserve the soprano or contralto range of his voice
Examples of castrato in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike traditional castrati, Costanzo did not come to his high vocal register after having had his testicles crushed between stones.
—
Henry Alford, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Handel composed in 1750 for a famous castrato alto.
—Dallas News, 23 Dec. 2022
The castrato who created the part of Ariodante was a virtuoso, and Handel took advantage of that skill with several astonishing arias.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2022
Arianna takes a wife for the new emperor, which tracks musically since Handel wrote Anastasio for a castrato voice that well suits a women.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2022
See All Example Sentences for castrato
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.
Henry Alford, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Handel composed in 1750 for a famous castrato alto.
—Dallas News, 23 Dec. 2022
The castrato who created the part of Ariodante was a virtuoso, and Handel took advantage of that skill with several astonishing arias.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2022
Arianna takes a wife for the new emperor, which tracks musically since Handel wrote Anastasio for a castrato voice that well suits a women.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2022
See All Example Sentences for castrato
Cite this Entry
“Castrato.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/castrato. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share