operetta
noun
op·er·et·ta
ˌä-pə-ˈre-tə 
: a usually romantic comic opera that includes songs and dancing
Examples of operetta in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Penzance Musical, an exquisitely funny, meticulously concocted theatrical pavlova—the 1879 operetta The Pirates of Penzance by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan—has been whacked with a mallet.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
This version of the operetta exchanges the show’s English seaside setting for New Orleans, and the music gets a refresh along with the backdrops.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 30 Apr. 2025
Holmes and Ellis interpolate a few songs from other Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, but most are rendered into duds and Pierce’s moments again prove the exception.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
Indeed, there is something essentially dry about the original operetta, whose tricky, twitty humor marks the beginning of a line that extends to Monty Python and beyond.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for operetta
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.
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
This version of the operetta exchanges the show’s English seaside setting for New Orleans, and the music gets a refresh along with the backdrops.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 30 Apr. 2025
Holmes and Ellis interpolate a few songs from other Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, but most are rendered into duds and Pierce’s moments again prove the exception.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
Indeed, there is something essentially dry about the original operetta, whose tricky, twitty humor marks the beginning of a line that extends to Monty Python and beyond.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for operetta
Cite this Entry
“Operetta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/operetta. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
operetta
noun
op·er·et·ta
ˌäp-ə-ˈret-ə
: a light play set to music with speaking, singing, and dancing scenes
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share