sotto voce
adverb or adjective
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It’s no secret: sotto voce functions both as an adverb ("she began telling us sotto voce about the upcoming surprise party") and as an adjective ("he read the letter in a sotto voce delivery"). Borrowed into English from the Italian word sottovoce (literally meaning "under the voice"), the adverb sense first appeared in English in the 18th century and soon afterward found use in musical directions calling for whispered vocals. The adjective sense came about in the early 19th century.
Examples of sotto voce in a Sentence
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
The Athenian Riviera, the 40-mile stretch of coastline that runs south from Athens to Cape Sounion along the Saronic Gulf, has long been a sotto voce favorite of the Greek beau monde.
—Alexander Lobrano, Air Mail, 12 July 2025
Biden tried to encourage Mexico to strengthen its law enforcement efforts, but his administration’s sotto voce approach drove little productive change.
—Vanda Felbab-Brown, Foreign Affairs, 17 Feb. 2025
The f-word is uttered twice, once sotto voce and once quite loudly and clearly.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sotto voce
Cite this Entry
“Sotto voce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sotto%20voce. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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sotto voce
adverb or adjective
from Italian sottovoce, literally, "under the voice"
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