overture

noun

over·ture | \ ˈō-vər-ˌchu̇r

, ˈō-və-, -chər, -ˌtyu̇r, -ˌtu̇r\

Definition of overture

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : an initiative toward agreement or action : proposal

b : something introductory : prelude

2a : the orchestral introduction to a musical dramatic work

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

overture

verb

overtured; overturing

Definition of overture (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to put forward as an overture

2 : to make or present an overture to

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about overture

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Examples of overture in a Sentence

Noun

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 on the Web: Noun

If the overtures to Kennedy from the White House were subtle, the warnings from its allies were blunt. — Adam Liptak And Maggie Haberman, BostonGlobe.com, "How the White House quietly worked to get Justice Kennedy to move aside," 29 June 2018 The overture is especially important because Germany is Mr. Macron’s most essential ally in pursuing a new course for the EU. — Simon Nixon, WSJ, "Charlemagne to the Rescue," 22 June 2018 The tuneful score adds to the fun (though strangely for a children’s show, the overture is long enough to come from the golden age of Rodgers & Hammerstein). — Matthew J. Palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Review: Buggin' Out: A Small Musical - Fringe 2018," 14 May 2018 But the overtures from Veselnitskaya and Agalarov are the first indication that the same Russians were still pushing to change the sanctions law after Trump was elected. — Jeremy Herb, CNN, "Russians reached out to Trump team about Magnitsky Act sanctions after election, Democrats say," 27 Apr. 2018 Critics say Kim’s overture is an attempt to use improved ties with South Korea to weaken U.S.-led international sanctions on North Korea while buying time to perfect his nuclear weapons program. — Time, "North Korea Is Sending 230 Cheerleaders to the 2018 Winter Olympics," 17 Jan. 2018 North Korea’s overtures are tactical, reckons Robert Kelly, of Pusan National University in South Korea. — The Economist, "Games amid the frostThe two Koreas are talking again, but don’t expect much progress," 11 Jan. 2018 Microsoft may have been hedging its bets against an upstart competitor, but Netscape saw the overture as an intimidation tactic. — Matt Blitz, Popular Mechanics, "Later, Navigator: How Netscape Won and Then Lost the World Wide Web," 4 Apr. 2019 Breakup Fee Murdoch, 87, also wasn’t swayed by Comcast’s overtures partly because the cable company didn’t offer a breakup fee. — Fortune, "Comcast Offers $65 Billion for Fox in Bidding War With Disney," 13 June 2018

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.