oratorio

noun

Definition of oratorionext
as in paean

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of oratorio The oratorio concerns the death of an old man and his journey into paradise. — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Dec. 2025 This one-of-a-kind Spanish-language oratorio will be released next year. — Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025 Few singers today dispatch the aria with the panache of Gerald Finley, who performs the oratorio next week with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, from December 16 to 21. — Matthew Gurewitsch, Air Mail, 13 Dec. 2025 But her fourth album, Lux, adopts the sound and ambitions of a classical oratorio to mirror the modern quest for salvation, in all its thrilling and frustrating contours. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for oratorio
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oratorio
  1. paean
  2. mass
  3. hallelujah
  4. processional
  5. dirge
  6. requiem
  7. chorale
Noun
  • Alongside a brand partnership with Beyoncé, who penned a paean to Levi’s on her most recent album, the company has also recruited a Bollywood star and top European and British influencers — most of them female — to sport its looks.
    — Rob Wile, NBC news, 9 July 2026
  • His celebratory words marking its 250th anniversary included not only the traditional paeans to the Founders but also a dose of personal grievance, plus soaring praise for his own achievements.
    — Susan Page, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of paean
Noun
  • Alaska’s remote, hard-to-reach capital is the largest state capital in the nation by land mass and there sure is a lot to love.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • The Alzheimer’s Blood Tests are not designed as a mass screening tool for people who feel fine and have no memory concerns.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
Definition of mass
Noun
  • Cronenworth hit a grounder to the left side in last night’s eighth inning, crossed first base before the throw and raised his hands in a sort of hit hallelujah.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
  • What better time to shout hallelujah than Easter Sunday?
    — Jorie Nicole McDonald, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of hallelujah
Noun
  • The opening night will include a red carpet, a live traditional bagpipe processional, and then a screening of Braveheart followed by a Q&A and keynote with Wallace.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 July 2026
  • At 1981's Trooping the Colour, Diana rode in a carriage with former Prince Andrew, as her husband-to-be Prince Charles was riding on horseback as part of the processional.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 13 June 2026
Definition of processional
Noun
  • Ashura processions are usually dramatic affairs, with chanters singing elegies or dirges dedicated to Hussein, while audience members beat their chests and engage in displays of mourning.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
  • This is the starting point of Earth 7, Deb Olin Unferth’s stellar and sweeping science fiction novel that is part cosmic comedy and part dirge to our dying world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Definition of dirge
Noun
  • And for me, ‘Amor Eterno,’ coincidentally also patterns how most requiems start, which is requiem eternum, eternal rest, eternal love.
    — Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 29 May 2026
  • The biggest difference is probably how Laurie plays the final requiem.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 4 May 2026
Definition of requiem
Noun
  • One time he was told to write something from Bach, like a Bach chorale.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026
  • There’s an impressive magic effect that occurs when one or two men are able to quickly turn themselves into a pit band, or off-Broadway chorale.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 18 July 2026
Definition of chorale

Browse Nearby Words

oratorical
oratorio
oratorios
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Cite this Entry

“Oratorio.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oratorio. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on oratorio

Nglish: Translation of oratorio for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oratorio

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