pastorale

noun pas·to·rale \ ˌpa-stə-ˈräl , -ˈral also -ˈrä-lē \

Definition of pastorale

1 a : an instrumental or vocal composition having a pastoral theme

b : an opera of the 16th or 17th centuries having a pastoral plot

2 : pastoral 1a

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Recent Examples of pastorale from the Web

Including 55 serious operas, 6 cantatas, 53 comic operas, 17 operettas, 6 sing-spiele, 4 ballets, 4 vaudevilles, 2 oratorios, one each of fares, pastorales, masques, ballads and buffas.

— william robin, New York Times, "Amy Beach, a Pioneering American Composer, Turns 150," 1 Sep. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of pastorale

Italian, from pastorale of herdsmen, from Latin pastoralis

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First Known Use: 1614

in the meaning defined at sense 1b

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