overture

play

noun over·ture \ ˈō-vər-ˌchu̇r , ˈō-və- , -chər , -ˌtyu̇r , -ˌtu̇r \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of overture

1 a :an initiative toward agreement or action :proposal

b :something introductory :prelude

2 a :the orchestral introduction to a musical dramatic work

b :an orchestral concert piece written especially as a single movement in sonata form

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See overture defined for kids

Examples of overture in a Sentence

The government has made a significant peace overture by opening the door to negotiation.
the parade down Main Street served as the overture for a weekend of fun and festivities

Recent Examples of overture from the Web

In a diplomatic overture, May wore a red and white ensemble, the colors of the Japanese flag.

— alex morales, Bloomberg.com, "Japan Unimpressed With May’s Brexit But ‘Too Polite’ to Say So," 30 Aug. 2017
For years, China has resisted American overtures to discuss and jointly plan for collapse scenarios, a stance that, in effect, supported the Kim regime.

— adam mount, The Atlantic, "How China Sees North Korea," 29 Aug. 2017
The rise of groups like Trump’s Republican Party, with its overtures to the alt-right, has emboldened men like Dylann Roof to come out of their slumber and loudly, violently out themselves.

— matt giles, Longreads, "The South Carolina Dylann Roof Knew," 22 Aug. 2017
Those attempts concerned more senior members of Trump’s campaign, including Paul Manafort, and Sam Clovis, who cautioned against such overtures.

— vanityfair.com, "Another Piece of the Trump-Russia Puzzle Falls into Place," 15 Aug. 2017
Those attempts concerned more senior members of Trump’s campaign, including Paul Manafort, and Sam Clovis, who cautioned against such overtures.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "Another Piece of the Trump-Russia Puzzle Falls into Place," 15 Aug. 2017
Hopes raised by this overture dimmed within days when jihadist infiltrators attacked an Indian airbase.

— The Economist, "Hissing cousinsWhy India and Pakistan hate each other," 22 July 2017
The Heat also apparently find themselves with competition for Johnson and Waiters, with the Utah Jazz turning toward Johnson after losing out on retaining Hayward, and the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks having made overtures toward Waiters.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "What's next for Miami Heat? Dealing with their own free agents," 5 July 2017
Spicer’s overture statement was a farrago of false assertions, misleading stats, and embattled attitude, putting those Beltway press-corps punks on notice that there was a new sheriff in town.

— james wolcott, The Hive, "There’s Nowhere Left for Sean Spicer to Hide," 4 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of overture

Middle English, literally, opening, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *opertura, alteration of Latin apertura — more at aperture

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

overture Synonyms

Synonyms

curtain-raiser, prelude, preamble, preliminary, prologue (also prolog), warm-up

Related Words

countdown, run-up [chiefly British]; lead-in; kickoff, start

Other Music Terms

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

overture

verb

Definition of overture

overtured; overturing

transitive verb

1 :to put forward as an overture

2 :to make or present an overture to

First Known Use of overture

1655

OVERTURE Defined for English Language Learners

overture

play

noun

Definition of overture for English Language Learners

: a piece of music played at the start of an opera, a musical play, etc.
: something that is offered or suggested with the hope that it will start a relationship, lead to an agreement, etc.
: the first part of an event : the beginning of something