repertory

noun

rep·​er·​to·​ry ˈre-pər-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce repertory (audio)
ˈre-pə-
plural repertories
1
: a place where something may be found : repository
2
b
: a company that presents several different plays, operas, or pieces usually alternately in the course of a season at one theater
c
: a theater housing such a company
3
: the production and presentation of plays by a repertory company
acting in repertory

Example Sentences

She acted in repertory for many years.
Recent Examples on the Web Opera is expensive; in their panic to boost ticket sales and avoid deficits, major companies have increasingly leaned on tried and true repertory works over the costly gamble of a new piece. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2023 In his 10 years as general and artistic director of the Atlanta Opera, Tomer Zvulun has worked assiduously to put the company on the map by increasing its budget, expanding its performance schedule, and staging nonstandard repertory titles in alternative spaces. Heidi Waleson, wsj.com, 3 May 2023 With seven days a week of programming, Vidiots will schedule repertory titles, new independent films, classics, all-ages programs and education and preservation initiatives. Pat Saperstein, Variety, 17 Apr. 2023 Whether at the repertory house or the multiplex, box office has not yet rebounded from the one-two punch of COVID-19 and Roku. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2023 Johnstone endows M3gan with an arch, chilly, and chilling repertory of facial expressions and verbal inflections. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2023 The libretto is clumsy; the plot, about a Russian princess who falls in love with the man who murdered her fiancé, is distant and tangled; and the music, save for a short aria, has largely faded from the standard repertory. Javier C. Hernández, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2022 In 75 years, the company’s dancers have leapt their way through a repertory of more than 400 ballets. Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2023 The festival curtailed its repertory productions last fall, which exacerbated the revenue shortfall, and executives turned their focus to fundraising. oregonlive, 12 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'repertory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin repertorium list, from Latin reperire to find, from re- + parere to produce — more at pare

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of repertory was in 1593

Dictionary Entries Near repertory

Cite this Entry

“Repertory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repertory. Accessed 31 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

repertory

noun
rep·​er·​to·​ry ˈrep-ə(r)-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce repertory (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
plural repertories
1
: a place where something may be found
2
b
: a company that performs different plays or pieces in the course of a season
c
: a theater in which such a company performs

More from Merriam-Webster on repertory

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!