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prosody

noun
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pros·​o·​dy | \ ˈprä-sə-dē How to pronounce prosody (audio) , -zə- How to pronounce prosody (audio) \
plural prosodies

Definition of prosody

1 : the study of versification especially : the systematic study of metrical structure
2 : a particular system, theory, or style of versification
3 : the rhythmic and intonational aspect of language
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Other Words from prosody

prosodist \ ˈprä-​sə-​dist How to pronounce prosody (audio) , -​zə-​ \ noun

Examples of prosody in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With audio, the voice actor provides that information for you, so your brain is simply working to understand the prosody in your ears. — Dan Seitz, Popular Science, "Keep your brain in shape by reading more books," 26 Jan. 2021 Among my friends, at least my guy friends, a return to traditional prosody. — Ben Lerner, The New York Review of Books, "The Rose," 6 July 2020 But the number that are fit for verse, in terms of both meaning and prosody, is much smaller. — The Economist, "Johnson Is music a language, as Stevie Wonder sang?," 30 May 2020 Verbal markers such as intonation, prosody, and emphasis are what allow Irony Man to imbue sarcasm into conversation. — Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, "This Eye-Rolling Robot Understands Irony and Will Sass You Hard," 13 June 2019

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

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First Known Use of prosody

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for prosody

Middle English, from Latin prosodia accent of a syllable, from Greek prosōidia song sung to instrumental music, accent, from pros in addition to + ōidē song — more at pros-, ode

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Time Traveler for prosody

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The first known use of prosody was in the 15th century

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Statistics for prosody

Last Updated

10 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Prosody.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prosody. Accessed 7 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for prosody

prosody

noun
How to pronounce prosody (audio) How to pronounce prosody (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of prosody

technical : the rhythm and pattern of sounds of poetry and language

See the full definition for prosody in the English Language Learners Dictionary

More from Merriam-Webster on prosody

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about prosody

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