overture

1 of 2

noun

over·​ture ˈō-vər-ˌchu̇r 

ˈō-və-,

-chər,

-ˌtyu̇r,

-ˌtu̇r

1

a

: an initiative toward agreement or action : proposal

b

: something introductory : prelude

2

a

: the orchestral introduction to a musical dramatic work

b

: an orchestral concert piece written especially as a single movement in sonata form

overture

2 of 2

verb

overtured; overturing

transitive verb

1

: to put forward as an overture

2

: to make or present an overture to

Synonyms

Noun

• curtain-raiser
• preamble
• preliminary
• prelude
• prologue
• prolog
• warm-up

Examples of overture in a Sentence

Noun

The government has made a significant peace overture by opening the door to negotiation.

the parade down Main Street served as the overture for a weekend of fun and festivities

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The overture brought Begin back to the negotiating table at another moment of near failure. —Tom Donilon, Foreign Affairs, 29 Dec. 2024

The independent film’s script was more than 160 pages long, split into an overture, two parts and an epilogue that chronicles the journey of a Hungarian Jewish architect, played by Adrien Brody, who immigrates to the U.S. after World War II in search of a new beginning for himself and his family. —Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024

After making significant overtures to the crypto sector during the campaign, highlighted by a appearance at Bitcoin 2024, the speculation and discussion related to crypto policy initiatives have also increased as the inauguration approaches. —Sean Stein Smith, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024

Despite recent overtures from Sunni rebels, Kurdish leaders remain cautious. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, literally, opening, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *opertura, alteration of Latin apertura — more at aperture

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

overture

noun

over·​ture

ˈō-və(r)-ˌchu̇(ə)r,

-chər

1

: an opening offer : proposal

the enemy made overtures for peace

2

a

: a musical composition played by the orchestra as the introduction to an opera or musical play

b

: a piece of music in the style of an overture for concert performance