rehearsal

noun

re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl 

1

: something recounted or told again : recital

2

a

: a private performance or practice session preparatory to a public appearance

b

: a practice exercise : trial

Synonyms of rehearsal

• practice
• trial
• preview

Examples of rehearsal in a Sentence

She was 15 minutes late to rehearsal.

There are only three more rehearsals before the concert.

Recent Examples on the Web

His mentor, 11-year-old Titus Risner, works alongside him throughout rehearsals. —Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026

The perseverance required to work through technical challenges taught me resilience, while long rehearsals built stamina and discipline. —Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026

There was a magic in the air that will vanish if TV producers, tight scripts, and extensive rehearsals enter into the equation. —Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2026

There is no rehearsal, no director, with each night promising a unique, one-off event shaped entirely by the individual talent on stage. —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rehearsal

• dress rehearsal
• in rehearsal
• pre-rehearsal
• rehearsal dinner
• wedding rehearsal

Rhymes for rehearsal

• demersal
• dispersal
• reversal
• transversal
• traversal
• bursal
• versal
• universal

Kids Definition

rehearsal

noun

re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl 

1

: a private performance or practice session in preparation for a public appearance

2

: a practice exercise : trial

Medical Definition

rehearsal

noun

re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl 

1

: a method for improving memory by mentally or verbally repeating over and over the information to be remembered

2

: the repeated mental review of a desired action or behavioral response

preoperative rehearsal of coping imagery to reduce anxiety