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

• preview
• practice
• practise
• trial

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

Greene leads rehearsals once a week until show time, with cast members running lines, practicing choreography and more. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2025

Pro Kym Johnson wasn't so lucky when her celebrity partner, former NFL star and coach Hines Ward dropped her on her head during a season 12 rehearsal. —Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025

Still, there’s a bit of tension when La’an shows up to ask Spock to join her for dance rehearsal. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025

Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke stood in front of an audience and described the painstaking rehearsal for their movie about Lorenz Hart. —Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 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