sonata

noun

so·​na·​ta sə-ˈnä-tə How to pronounce sonata (audio)
: an instrumental musical composition typically of three or four movements in contrasting forms and keys

Examples of sonata in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Not far from where Joseph buys her pinot noir in the Chehalem Mountains, the famed German winemaker Ernst Loosen is pursuing an even more ambitious project with his winery, Appassionata Estate — named for the Beethoven piano sonata. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 The four movements of the sonata are meditations on New England transcendentalist writers: Emerson, Hawthorne, the Alcotts and Thoreau. Patrick Neas, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2024 This collection of 18 movements (three per sonata) was written in the late 1720s for the composer’s eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, to perfect his playing. Paul Jacobs, WSJ, 20 Oct. 2023 But that did not mean the complete absence of moments of sunshine that showed foliage to good advantage, in what seemed the visual counterpart of an almost audible seasonal sonata. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2023 For spice, there was a sonata by Johann Gottlieb Janitsch, one generation later than Bach. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Feb. 2023 To encounter one of the late sonatas on a recital program is a treat. Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Mar. 2023 Born in Reykjavik to Chinese mother who played violin in the local symphony and Icelandic economist father with a taste for Chet Baker, Laufey Lin Jónsdóttir and her identical twin sister were raised on an rich musical diet of big band standards, orchestral numbers, and classical string sonatas. Mosha Lundström Halbert, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2023 Gil Shaham, violin, and Akira Eguchi, piano The frequent partners play Fauré’s irresistible A-major sonata, Avner Dorman’s Nigunim (which has become something of a Shaham classic), plus an assortment of new and old music. Vulture, 25 Aug. 2023

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

Italian, from sonare to sound, from Latin

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sonata was in 1786

Dictionary Entries Near sonata

Cite this Entry

“Sonata.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonata. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sonata

noun
so·​na·​ta sə-ˈnät-ə How to pronounce sonata (audio)
: a piece of music written for instruments and usually having three or four main parts in different styles and different keys

Medical Definition

Sonata

trademark
So·​na·​ta sō-ˈnä-tə How to pronounce Sonata (audio)
used for a preparation of zaleplon

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