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prima donna

noun pri·ma don·na \ ˌpri-mə-ˈdä-nə , ˌprē- \

Definition of prima donna

plural prima donnas
1 :a principal female singer in an opera or concert organization
2 :a vain or undisciplined person who finds it difficult to work under direction or as part of a team

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From the M-W Editors

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Prima Donna: Trended on April 5, 2012
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Examples of prima donna in a Sentence

  1. The actress is a temperamental prima donna.

  2. We are looking for team players, not prima donnas.

Origin and Etymology of prima donna

Italian, literally, first lady

Other Music Terms

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

PRIMA DONNA Defined for English Language Learners

prima donna

noun

Definition of prima donna for English Language Learners

  • : the main female singer in an opera company

  • : a person who thinks she or he is better than everyone else and who does not work well as part of a team or group

Learn More about prima donna

  1. See words that rhyme with prima donna

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Examples: prima donna in a Sentence