sostenuto

1 of 2

adjective or adverb

so·​ste·​nu·​to ˌsō-stə-ˈnü-(ˌ)tō 

ˌsȯ-

: sustained to or beyond the note's full value

—used as a direction in music

sostenuto

2 of 2

noun

plural sostenutos

: a movement or passage whose notes are markedly prolonged

Examples of sostenuto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

After that movement’s abrupt end, bassoonist Andrew Brady begins the more somber Andante sostenuto movement. —Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 12 Jan. 2024

Two introspective movements by Charles-Marie Widor (the Adagio from the Fifth Symphony and the Andante sostenuto from the Symphonie gothique) framed the dramatic opening movement of Louis Vierne’s Second Symphony. —Dallas News, 21 Feb. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Adjective or adverb

Italian, from past participle of sostenere to sustain, from Latin sustinēre

First Known Use

Adjective Or Adverb

circa 1724, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1757, in the meaning defined above