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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
On Wednesday, the Department of Energy announced a review of its procedures for energy standards, which one expert described as a reprise of the first Trump administration’s attempts to create procedural hurdles to updating efficiency standards. Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2025 President Biden’s term has been a notable exception, but a reprise may be coming. Gabe Rottman, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
Writer and creator Chris Sanders, who also voiced the original Stitch, reprises his role in the live-action film alongside returning cast members Tia Carrere, Amy Hill, and Jason Scott Lee. Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025 Chris Sanders reprises his role as the voice of Stitch. Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for reprise

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

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Reprise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reprise. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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!