opera

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of opera

plural of opus

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

opera

play

noun op·era \ ˈä-p(ə-)rə , Southern also ˈä-prē \

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.

; also :a house where operas are performed

We'll meet you at the opera at 7 p.m.

See opera defined for English-language learners

Examples of opera in a Sentence

I am going to an opera tonight.

Recent Examples of opera from the Web

Two — a music store and a scrapbook shop — are eventually expected to reopen, but the badly damaged opera building, which housed offices, is set to be demolished, Towery said.

— lauren zumbach, chicagotribune.com, "In smaller towns, empty storefronts and economic challenges loom large," 30 Aug. 2017
Tchaikovsky turned Alexander Pushkin’s classic Russian novel into one of the world’s most beloved operas filled with arias and ballroom dance numbers.

— bill brownlee and dan kelly,, kansascity, "Ink picks: 14 events not to miss in September," 29 Aug. 2017
Since 1965, the opera’s master carpenters, metalworkers and painters have built more than 100 productions for San Diego Opera and other companies worldwide.

— pam kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Replica villages for Alzheimer's patients planned in 100 cities," 17 Aug. 2017
Grab your blanket and chairs and join Los Angeles magazine and LA Opera at the 4th Annual Opera at the Beach featuring The Wine Terrace Tasting Experience.

— Los Angeles Magazine, "The Wine Terrace at Opera at the Beach," 14 Aug. 2017
The Trump administration has sparked a good deal of drama so far, but now this soap opera has just ramped up to Days of Our Lives proportions.

— hilary weaver, vanityfair.com, "The Trump Administration’s First Sex Scandal Has Now Produced a Child," 10 Aug. 2017
Among men, Spanish opera star Plácido Domingo, in 2000, and Mexican-American rock guitarist Carlos Santana, in 2013, received the honor.

— howard cohen, miamiherald, "Gloria Estefan is about to get the honor of her life," 3 Aug. 2017
Mexican actors will offer readings of the opera’s text by Cruz, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright.

— punch shaw, star-telegram, "Fort Worth Opera heads to Mexico this month," 3 Aug. 2017
Originally an '80s soap opera that followed the feud between the über-rich Carrington and Colby families that made their fortunes off oil, the CW is reviving the classic.

— gabe bergado, Teen Vogue, "“Dynasty” Reboot Is Kicking Its Homophobia Story Line From the Original," 3 Aug. 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of opera

borrowed from Italian, "work, labor, artistic production, drama set to music (originally short for opera musicale, opera in musica)," going back to Latin, "activity, effort, attention, work," collective derivative from oper-, opus "work, effort, product of labor" — more at opus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1848

See Words from the same year

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

OPERA Defined for English Language Learners

opera

play

noun

Definition of opera for English Language Learners

: a kind of performance in which actors sing all or most of the words of a play with music performed by an orchestra
: a show in which opera is performed
: a group of actors who perform operas together