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)
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.
Examples of opera in a Sentence
Noun
I am going to an opera tonight.
Recent Examples on the Web
Joe Lynch, Billboard, 23 June 2024
After singing in a school recital at the age of 12, Meryl began taking opera lessons from Estelle Liebling.
—Francesca Pellegrini, Vogue, 22 June 2024
An underground arts fortress The Kharkiv opera theater was damaged in a Russian attack early in the war.
—Laurel Chor, NPR, 21 June 2024
Costanzo comes from the tradition of Baroque opera and excels in Nero’s glorifying excesses.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for opera 
Noun
Similar to many operas that have stood the test of time, Purple Rain comes complete with an unforgettable villain – Morris Day, Prince’s real-life friend and colleague who played a deliciously narcissistic version of himself in the 1984 film.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 23 June 2024
After singing in a school recital at the age of 12, Meryl began taking opera lessons from Estelle Liebling.
—Francesca Pellegrini, Vogue, 22 June 2024
An underground arts fortress The Kharkiv opera theater was damaged in a Russian attack early in the war.
—Laurel Chor, NPR, 21 June 2024
Costanzo comes from the tradition of Baroque opera and excels in Nero’s glorifying excesses.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for opera
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'opera.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Opera.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opera. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
opera
1 of 2plural of opus
opera
2 of 2 noun
op·era
ˈäp-(ə-)rə
1
: a play in which usually the entire text is sung with orchestral accompaniment
2
: the performance of an opera
operatic
adjective
ˌäp-ə-ˈrat-ik
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