a cappella
adverb or adjective
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A Cappella Has Italian Roots
A cappella arrived in English in the 18th century via the Italian phrase a cappella, meaning "in chapel or choir style." (Medieval Latin capella, meaning "chapel," is the source of English chapel.) The a cappella style reached preeminence in the late 16th century in the music that composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina wrote for the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican. Because no independent instrumental parts were written down, scholars once thought that the choir sang unaccompanied, but current evidence makes clear that an organ or other instruments doubled some or several of the vocal parts. Regardless, today a cappella describes a purely vocal performance.
Examples of a cappella in a Sentence
Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025
While working through the audio issues, Billy Ray wandered the stage, sang a cappella, and left some viewers concerned about his hoarse voice and at times erratic behavior.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 28 Jan. 2025
Underwood performed the song a cappella before Donald Trump took the presidential oath of office to become the U.S. president for the second time.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
Video above: Carrie Underwood sings a cappella during President Donald Trump’s inauguration after apparent technical issue.
—Addy Bink, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“A cappella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20cappella. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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a cappella
adverb or adjectivefrom Italian a cappella "in chapel style"
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