Definition of opera
- plural of opus
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Definition of opera
1
: a drama set to music and made up of vocal pieces with orchestral accompaniment and orchestral overtures (see 1overture 2) and interludes (see interlude 3);
specifically
: grand opera
- Beethoven composed only one opera.
2
: the score (see 1score 6) of a musical drama
- The composer finished the opera in just six weeks.
3
: the performance of an opera
- The opera was delayed a half hour due to technical difficulties.
- We'll meet you at the opera at 7 p.m.
Examples of opera in a Sentence
I am going to an opera tonight.
Recent Examples of opera from the Web
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All three have extensive credits on Broadway and in other musical theater, as well as with major opera companies and orchestras.
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Sitting inside Le Dali, the hotel’s all-day dining spot, often feels like taking in a luxurious opera while tripping on hallucinogens.
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Rebers has spent more than a year transitioning from baritone to tenor, no small change for an opera and musical theater singer.
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There's certainly enough tragedy in Griffith's life for an opera.
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The 2,000-seat Morrison Center is too large in its natural state for the opera company to fill.
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A year ago, Michigan took the bulk of its football team on a week-long trip to Rome that featured a trip to The Vatican, a tour of the Colosseum, a visit to an Italian opera and a host of other activities.
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Still, an opera has been created from it, and on Millikin University’s Kaeuper Theater stage, students helped the musical take shape during a recent two-week theater workshop.
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Aroeste trained in classical opera and developed her love of Ladino music in 1997 after performing in Israel as well as from studying with Nico Castel, one of the world's top Ladino singers and coaches of the Metropolitan Opera.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'opera.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
OPERA Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of opera for English Language Learners
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: a kind of performance in which actors sing all or most of the words of a play with music performed by an orchestra
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: a show in which opera is performed
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: a group of actors who perform operas together
OPERA Defined for Kids
Definition of opera for Students
: a play in which the entire text is sung with orchestral accompaniment
Learn More about opera
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Spanish Central: Translation of opera Nglish: Translation of opera for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of opera for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about opera
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