repertory

noun

rep·er·to·ry | \ ˈre-pər-ˌtȯr-ē ,

ˈre-pə- \

plural repertories

Definition of repertory

1 : a place where something may be found : repository

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

Examples of repertory in a Sentence

She acted in repertory for many years. It is true that we appeal to design in our ordinary experience and even in science. Anthropologists argue to past human activity from the meager evidence of flaked pieces of rock. But we have a vast repertory of knowledge about what does or does not reflect human activity; and this allows for empirical tests. —“What’s Scientific about It?” P. 8, John Boler, COMMONWEAL Vol. CXXXII No. 19, November 4, 2005 Wine is the attraction at The Tasting Room, a two-story lounge with perfect skyline views. The bar has a long list of handcrafted wines, plus one of my favorite innovations—nose-tickling, beautifully ripe cheeses arranged in “flights,” which are samples of three or four sheep’s-milk, goat’s-milk, or farmstead cheeses from a repertory of about 40. —“Eating It Up” P. 107, William Rice, GOURMET Vol. LXIII No. 2, February 2003 Which do you prefer? I have enjoyed them both. One thing that was good about the order I did them in was at the local level, I got a chance to try and implement some of the policy-making and big-picture stuff we used to talk about at the state level. It was easy to make it into a repertory of innovation and try out some things we needed to talk about. That is harder to do in the larger environment. I have a real appreciation for the fact that, at any level, technology is just a tool. Sometimes it’s the best and most appropriate tool, and sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes there are better more efficient, more effective ways to deliver service that don’t require a lot of technology, and that’s something that’s played out even more directly at the local level. Changing the way people think about their work, their jobs or the way they view being in public service is easier in local government than state government. —“CIO” P. 12, Catherine Pickavet, GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY, December 2003 Sugar syrup, however, is a basic preparation that has not made it into the repertories of most home cooks, though in the past it was a staple. —“The Minimalist” P. F3, Mark Bittman, THE NEW YORK TIMES, July 17, 2002 Like its creator, the opera has spent decades prowling around the margins of the repertory, catching nods of grudging respect for its sheer synthetic brilliance, but little more than that. The work's size, scope, and technical demands prevent it from being much heard or much seen. —"The Man Who Knew ..." P. 30, Jeremy Eichler, THE NEW REPUBLIC Vol. 224 No. 11, March 12, 2001 With his bulldog demeanor and a repertory of sinking pitches designed to keep the ball on the ground, Hampton seems well-suited for his new park. He made an eloquent statement in his first game with the Rockies, pitching eight and one-third shutout innings in an 8-0 victory over Kile and the Cardinals in Denver. —"Ex-New Yorkers Find Niche in Colorado" P. 2, THE NEW YORK TIMES, May 6, 2001 Blade's repertory includes an overpowering riseball, a dropball that breaks straight down, —"Softball" P. 4, THE NEW YORK TIMES, May 28, 2000 In fact, Chaney and Carlo feel that adaptability has been the key to the Music Box’s success. As Chaney succinctly puts it, “The key to running a theater is booking what the audience wants to see. No audiences, no theater.” Even as they were starting in the daily-change repertory booking, the advent of video was chipping away at the repertory market. As more films became available on video, people increasingly chose to rent rather than go out. So the Music Box adapted again. In 1985, they started booking first-run independent films that were too big for the small independent cinemas but too small for the big chains. —“Entertainment” P. 29, Hank Sartin, WINDY CITY (IL) TIMES Vol. 8 No. 47, August 5, 1993

Recent Examples on the Web

The reality is that relatively few conductors, even American conductors, have this music in their repertory. — John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Crowds, cash coming to the Grant Park fest because of the music," 9 Jan. 2018 Over the course of two decades, Mercury, named for the independent repertory theater Orson Welles founded in New York in 1937, has done 477 performances of 79 shows. — Jeff Piorkowski/special To Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "South Euclid's Mercury Theatre Co. celebrates 20 years; 'Pinocchio' starts new season June 1," 10 May 2018 Attaining a 24th season speaks well of a suburban chamber ballet company, and Diablo Ballet wound it up with a varied program, assembling old and new repertory, at Walnut Creek’s Del Valle Theater on Friday, May 4. — Allan Ulrich, San Francisco Chronicle, "Robert Dekkers’ ‘Red Shoes’ not quite the right fit at Diablo Ballet," 5 May 2018 Master American choreographer George Balanchine will remain in the Ballet Idaho repertory. — Dana Oland, idahostatesman, "Ballet Idaho's new artistic director will bring some of world's top talent to Boise," 27 June 2018 Here, though, Wagner has been integrated into a repertory consciously designed to develop the ensemble. — David Allen, New York Times, "A Critic’s First Orchestra Defines Britain’s Musical Soul," 15 June 2018 As unearthed by People, Pete — who's currently a repertory player on NBC's Saturday Night Live — starred in a November 2017 digital short sketch that featured some interesting costuming choices. — D. Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Pete Davidson's Affection for Ariana Grande Might Date Back to This 2017 SNL Sketch," 13 June 2018 Over the course of the next six years, the company performed rotating repertory. — Christopher Wallenberg, BostonGlobe.com, "David Morse’s Boston years set the stage for Tony recognition," 8 June 2018 Nor do any of Janowski’s current rivals in this repertory have his knack for clarifying the ripe harmonies and rich scoring of the Venusberg bacchanal, while in no way diminishing the music’s whirling sensuality. — John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Marek Janowski's belated CSO downtown debut sends electric charge through Orchestra Hall," 1 June 2018

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