operetta
noun
op·er·et·ta ˌä-pə-ˈre-tə 
: a usually romantic comic opera that includes songs and dancing
operettist
ˌä-pə-ˈre-tist
noun 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players present the comic operetta about love gone awry in the nonsensical town of Titipu. 
Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2022 Martin’s sociopathic behavior finds a mate in an older, eccentric heiress Helen (Essie Davis), whose obsession with Gilbert and Sullivan operetta creates a problematic private world. Armond White, National Review, 8 Apr. 2022 The relationship was memorialized in the 2013 operetta, Scalia/Ginsburg. Alicia Ault, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Apr. 2022 The operetta is a comic adventure filled with partying, pranking, mistaken identities and a spell in prison. Christopher Arnott, courant.com, 23 Dec. 2021 But unlike a Broadway musical or operetta, the drama is resolved in music. Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2022 The operetta has happily been rescheduled for two of its original three venues. Christopher Arnott, courant.com, 17 Feb. 2022 The operetta by Johann Strauss II, which revolves around a New Year’s party, was slated for Dec. 26 at Trinity-on-Main in New London and Dec. 30 at The Bushnell; those shows were canceled when a cast member contracted COVID. Christopher Arnott, courant.com, 30 Dec. 2021 On top of traveling with his eight siblings for operetta roadshows, Moody performed in high school theater shows and played the piano. Sofia Krusmark, The Arizona Republic, 20 Dec. 2021 See More
Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2022 Martin’s sociopathic behavior finds a mate in an older, eccentric heiress Helen (Essie Davis), whose obsession with Gilbert and Sullivan operetta creates a problematic private world. Armond White, National Review, 8 Apr. 2022 The relationship was memorialized in the 2013 operetta, Scalia/Ginsburg. Alicia Ault, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Apr. 2022 The operetta is a comic adventure filled with partying, pranking, mistaken identities and a spell in prison. Christopher Arnott, courant.com, 23 Dec. 2021 But unlike a Broadway musical or operetta, the drama is resolved in music. Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2022 The operetta has happily been rescheduled for two of its original three venues. Christopher Arnott, courant.com, 17 Feb. 2022 The operetta by Johann Strauss II, which revolves around a New Year’s party, was slated for Dec. 26 at Trinity-on-Main in New London and Dec. 30 at The Bushnell; those shows were canceled when a cast member contracted COVID. Christopher Arnott, courant.com, 30 Dec. 2021 On top of traveling with his eight siblings for operetta roadshows, Moody performed in high school theater shows and played the piano. Sofia Krusmark, The Arizona Republic, 20 Dec. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Italian, diminutive of opera
First Known Use
1770, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
operetta
noun
op·er·et·ta ˌä-pə-ˈre-tə
: a funny play set to music with speaking, singing, and dancing scenes