soprano

adjective so·pra·no \ sə-ˈpra-(ˌ)nō , -ˈprä- \

Updated on: 11 Apr 2018

Definition of soprano

: relating to or having the range or part of a soprano

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Origin and Etymology of soprano

Italian, adjective & noun, from sopra above, from Latin supra — more at supra-

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1730

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

soprano

noun

Definition of soprano

plural sopranos

1 : the highest singing voice of women or boys and formerly of castrati; also : a person having this voice

2 : the highest voice part in a 4-part chorus

3 : a member of a family of instruments having the highest range

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Examples of soprano in a Sentence

She sings in a high soprano.

Recent Examples of soprano from the Web

Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms was superbly sung by the Westminster Symphonic Choir with boy soprano Dante Michael DiMaio.

— david patrick stearns, Philly.com, "Philadelphia Orchestra's new oratorio wit' cheesesteaks was great fun at its Philly premiere," 6 Apr. 2018
Aspiring jazz soprano Natalie Brady was a senior in high school in Milford looking for places to expand her talent.

— james pilcher, Cincinnati.com, "How sexual harassment starts on campus: One student's story," 2 Apr. 2018
Kayleigh Jardine of Michigan filled the role of soprano.

— aaron reiss, kansascity, "This KU student performed the national anthem at the Final Four | The Kansas City Star," 31 Mar. 2018
The cast is strong, too -- especially the three leads, the Phantom (rich tenor Gardar Thor Cortes), Christine Daae (thrilling soprano Meghan Picerno) and the angelic-voiced Jake Heston Miller as her young son, Gustave.

— laura demarco, cleveland.com, "'Love Never Dies': 'Phantom of the Opera' sequel has haunting power of its own (review)," 13 Jan. 2018
Besides portability, the violin has another unique quality: Its design originated in 16th century Italy, where it was created to emulate the range of a female soprano voice.

— CBS News, "Violins of Hope," 6 Dec. 2015
But on her way out the door, the promising young soprano stopped to deliver an elegant and forceful performance as part of the Schwabacher Recital Series.

— joshua kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Enchanting opera recital by young soprano Toni Marie Palmertree," 22 Mar. 2018
And supporting her most impressively as the young lovers Rosalba and Arcadio are soprano María Fernanda Castillo and tenor Daniel Montenegro, whose large, crisp voices blend beautifully with Alvarez’s creamy sound.

— pam kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Singing the most magical element in 'Florencia'," 19 Mar. 2018
Throughout, soprano Dana Lynne Varga streaked up into the stratosphere and back down to earth with ease, and contralto Emily Marvosh caught the eye with her rapt smile and the ear with her plum-wine voice.

— zoë madonna, BostonGlobe.com, "A ‘Missa Solemnis’ from the heart with Cantata Singers," 19 Mar. 2018

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