rehearsal

noun

re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl 

1

: something recounted or told again : recital

2

a

: a private performance or practice session preparatory to a public appearance

b

: a practice exercise : trial

Synonyms of rehearsal

• practice
• trial
• preview

Examples of rehearsal in a Sentence

She was 15 minutes late to rehearsal.

There are only three more rehearsals before the concert.

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the grass fields also will be used for the halftime show rehearsals. —Grace Hase, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025

Dancers Lauren Christie, who also served as rehearsal director, and Cecily Holcombe were especially proficient in the works, and demonstrated an impressive athleticism. —Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025

The actress suffered a rib injury during her Halloween Night rehearsal, hours before she was set to perform. —Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025

During the first year of the tour, Gorman was flying back and forth between concert stops to Los Angeles, juggling rehearsals and performances with medical appointments, biopsies and the uncertainty of a cancer diagnosis. —Bryan West, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rehearsal

• dress rehearsal
• in rehearsal
• pre-rehearsal
• rehearsal dinner
• wedding rehearsal

Rhymes for rehearsal

• demersal
• dispersal
• reversal
• transversal
• traversal
• bursal
• versal
• universal

Kids Definition

rehearsal

noun

re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl 

1

: a private performance or practice session in preparation for a public appearance

2

: a practice exercise : trial

Medical Definition

rehearsal

noun

re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl 

1

: a method for improving memory by mentally or verbally repeating over and over the information to be remembered

2

: the repeated mental review of a desired action or behavioral response

preoperative rehearsal of coping imagery to reduce anxiety