rubato

noun ru·ba·to \ rü-ˈbä-(ˌ)tō \

Updated on: 9 Mar 2018

Definition of rubato

plural rubatos

: a fluctuation of tempo within a musical phrase often against a rhythmically steady accompaniment

Recent Examples of rubato from the Web

The conductor used rubato to great effect, which only sharpened the sense that this was music stirring so urgently within the composer that putting it on paper was only an act of taking dictation from pure inspiration.

— peter dobrin, Philly.com, "Jennifer Higdon's 'Low Brass Concerto' feels lyrical but cold in its Philadelphia premiere," 23 Feb. 2018
Her application of rubato alone kept Muti glued to the score.

— john von rhein, chicagotribune.com, "CSO presents a pretty premiere as part of Muti's dervish week of pre-tour activity," 29 Sep. 2017
Here, his exquisite rubato yielded magical results, beautifully articulated by the NSO strings.

— tim smith, baltimoresun.com, "Eschenbach puts distinctive stamp on Mahler's 'Resurrection' with NSO," 3 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of rubato

Italian, literally, robbed

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First Known Use: 1855

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