reprise

1 of 2

noun

re·​prise ri-ˈprēz How to pronounce reprise (audio)
 sense 3 is also  ri-ˈprīz
1
[French, from Middle French]
a
: a musical repetition:
(1)
: the repetition of the exposition preceding the development
b
: a repeated performance : repetition
2
: a recurrence, renewal, or resumption of an action
3
: a deduction or charge made yearly out of a manor or estate
usually used in plural

reprise

2 of 2

verb

re·​prise ri-ˈprīz How to pronounce reprise (audio)
 sense 1 is  ri-ˈprēz
reprised; reprising

transitive verb

1
a
: to repeat the performance of
b
: to repeat the principal points or stages of : recapitulate
2
archaic : take back
especially : to recover by force
3
archaic : compensate

Did you know?

When reprise was first adopted into English in the 15th century, it referred to a deduction or charge made yearly out of a manor or estate (and was usually used in the plural form reprises). It probably won't surprise you, then, to learn that reprise comes from an Anglo-French word meaning "seizure, repossession, or expense." Eventually, reprise came to refer to any action that was repeated or resumed. A later sense, borrowed from modern French, applies to specific types of repetition in musical compositions. That sense was eventually generalized to describe any subsequent and identical performance. It's possible, for example, to have a reprise of a television program or a book.

Examples of reprise in a Sentence

Noun They ended their performance with a reprise of the opening number. The team is hoping to avoid a reprise of last year's defeat. Verb He will reprise his role in the play. the prosecutor's closing statement effectively reprised the case against the defendant
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Johns continued to establish her career throughout the 50s, gaining notoriety in England with films including State Secret, The Magic Box, and Mad About Men, which saw her reprise the role of Miranda. Shania Russell, EW.com, 4 Jan. 2024 The pair both get a second chance to make things right during the reprise of their conversation in 2019's Rise of Skywalker, which inspires Driver's character to give up his allegiance to the Dark Side. Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 1 Dec. 2023 Apparently Ricci’s chopping skills have landed her a reprise of her starring role. Lauren Beale, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024 The couple escaped unharmed, but — in a reprise of the riot last February — settlers swept into the town to carry out retaliatory attacks. Roger Cohen, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024 Yet this reprise felt more like a refresh — a welcome reminder of the unique pleasures of the double concerto. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2023 The effort was a reprise of a visit by Blinken last month, just days after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023 Pop returns the favor by appearing on a reprise of the song to close the album. Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 23 Nov. 2023 The first line of a classic tune by The Stylistics is an ode to striking sanitation workers, and their reprise is a reminder, much like Bluey, that people make the world go round. Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Oct. 2023
Verb
Gerard Butler, who voiced Stoick the Vast, the leader of the Viking clan and Hiccup’s father, is reprising his role in the flesh. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Mar. 2024 For Something Special, Shamash reprised her role as Gadsby’s producer and tried her hand at directing, too. Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Taapsee Pannu and Vikrant Massey reprise their roles, while Sunny Kaushal and Jimmy Shergill are new additions to the cast. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Feb. 2024 The duo will reprise their roles as fan-favorites Ziva David and Tony DiNozzo. Veronica Villafañe, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 That said, she’s always been upfront about her desire to reprise the role. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 26 Feb. 2024 The stars of The Devil Wears Prada briefly reunited onstage during the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards as Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt helped Meryl Streep present, with the three actresses briefly reprising their roles from the beloved 2006 film. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2024 Salem reprised both roles in audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions. Ew Staff, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2024 Locke and Connor reprise their roles of Charlie and Nick, respectively. Marc Malkin, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reprise.' 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

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, seizure, repossession, expense, from feminine past participle of reprendre to take back, from re- + prendre to take, from Latin prehendere

Verb

Middle English, from Middle French repris, past participle of reprendre

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of reprise was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near reprise

Cite this Entry

“Reprise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reprise. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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