opera
1 of 2plural of opus
opera
2 of 2noun
op·era ˈä-p(ə-)rə 
Southern also ˈä-prē
1
: a drama set to music and made up of vocal pieces with orchestral accompaniment and orchestral overtures (see overture entry 1 sense 2) and interludes (see interlude sense 2)
specifically : grand opera
Beethoven composed only one opera.
2
: the score (see score entry 1 sense 6) of a musical drama
The composer finished the opera in just six weeks.
3
: the performance of an opera
The opera was delayed a half hour due to technical difficulties.
also : a house where operas are performed
We'll meet you at the opera at 7 p.m.
Example Sentences
Noun I am going to an opera tonight.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Sep. 2022 Still, the historic nature of the rivalry and soap-opera aspect of the game’s storylines should attract some curiosity viewers. Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2022 That mild soap-opera flavor keeps fans coming back. Steven Cole Smith, Car and Driver, 21 Aug. 2022 Nollywood’s history can be traced back to the 1980s when merchants selling videotapes began commissioning soap-opera producers to make stories to actually put on them. Danielle Momoh, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Aug. 2022 Guided by four pillars — arts, education, religion and recreation — the organization has its own theater company, symphony, opera, ballet and visual arts center, as well as classes, interfaith lectures, a rotating chaplain and outdoor recreation. Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2022 Every July since 1985, a French music festival has showcased top international talents featuring hundreds of mainly free top classical, opera, jazz and DJ music concerts. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 Valentin Schwarz’s production of the four-opera epic presents human characters with relations even more tangled than usual. New York Times, 7 Aug. 2022 If the soap-opera tagline has primed Fogle for his conversion, the accounting class completes the job. Jon Baskin, The New Yorker, 27 July 2022 See More
Noun
Inspired by Bizet’s opera, the French choreographer in his first feature as director has created an experimental fever dream set in the desert lands of the United States-Mexico border. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Sep. 2022 Still, the historic nature of the rivalry and soap-opera aspect of the game’s storylines should attract some curiosity viewers. Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2022 That mild soap-opera flavor keeps fans coming back. Steven Cole Smith, Car and Driver, 21 Aug. 2022 Nollywood’s history can be traced back to the 1980s when merchants selling videotapes began commissioning soap-opera producers to make stories to actually put on them. Danielle Momoh, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Aug. 2022 Guided by four pillars — arts, education, religion and recreation — the organization has its own theater company, symphony, opera, ballet and visual arts center, as well as classes, interfaith lectures, a rotating chaplain and outdoor recreation. Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2022 Every July since 1985, a French music festival has showcased top international talents featuring hundreds of mainly free top classical, opera, jazz and DJ music concerts. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 Valentin Schwarz’s production of the four-opera epic presents human characters with relations even more tangled than usual. New York Times, 7 Aug. 2022 If the soap-opera tagline has primed Fogle for his conversion, the accounting class completes the job. Jon Baskin, The New Yorker, 27 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
borrowed from Italian, "work, labor, artistic production, drama set to music (originally short for opera musicale, opera in musica)," going back to Latin, "activity, effort, attention, work," collective derivative from oper-, opus "work, effort, product of labor" — more at opus
First Known Use
Noun
1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing opera
Kids Definition
opera
noun
op·era ˈä-pə-rə
ˈä-prə
: a play in which the entire text is sung with orchestral accompaniment
opera
noun
variants also opuses
as in works
a literary, musical, or artistic production the composer's final opus was performed posthumously to great acclaim Synonyms & Similar Words
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