rehearse

verb

re·​hearse ri-ˈhərs 

rehearsed; rehearsing

transitive verb

1

a

: to say again : repeat

b

: to recite aloud in a formal manner

2

: to present an account of : relate

rehearse a familiar story

3

: to recount in order : enumerate

rehearsed their demands

4

a

: to give a rehearsal of

b

: to train or make proficient by rehearsal

5

: to perform or practice as if in a rehearsal

intransitive verb

: to engage in a rehearsal

rehearser noun

Synonyms

• exercise
• practice
• practise
• run over

Examples of rehearse in a Sentence

The orchestra is rehearsing a piece by Schumann.

The band stayed up late rehearsing for the big show.

We were allowed to watch the director rehearse the dancers.

lawyers rehearsing their closing arguments

He rehearsed his dance moves in front of the mirror.

Recent Examples on the Web

Eleven parishioners are busy rehearsing a thrilling Western play to be presented next week. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

Erivo extensively rehearsed the flying portion, which was shot using wires and against a blue screen. —Daron James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2025

His legal team included text messages between Baldoni and Lively from June 2023 where the actress invited him into her trailer to rehearse lines while pumping breast milk. —Lauryn Overhultz, Fox News, 4 Feb. 2025

Roxane Stojanov were rehearsing on a floor that is tilted just slightly at a 5 percent incline. —Elliott Verdier, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rehersen, from Anglo-French rehercer, from re- + hercer to harrow, from herce harrow — more at hearse

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

rehearse

verb

re·​hearse ri-ˈhərs 

rehearsed; rehearsing

1

a

: to say again : repeat

b

: to recount in order : enumerate

they rehearsed their complaints in a letter

2

a

: to practice (a play or scene) for public performance

b

: to train or instruct (as actors) by rehearsal

3

: to engage in a rehearsal

rehearser noun

Etymology

Middle English rehersen "to say again, repeat," from early French rehercier "to go over again and again," literally, "to harrow again," from re- "again" and hercier "to harrow," from herce "a harrow"

Word Origin

In the Middle Ages, French farmers used a tool they called a herce. This was a triangular wooden frame with sturdy pegs or teeth on one side. It was pulled over plowed farmland to break up the soil in order to make it smooth for planting. The early French verb used to describe this action was hercier, which meant "to harrow." In most cases the process had to be repeated over and over, so the word rehercier was formed, meaning "to harrow again" or "reharrow." In time, rehercier came to be used with more general meanings like "to go over something again (and again)," as in repeating a school lesson or a story. The word came into Middle English as rehersen, meaning "to say again, repeat." Through the years the English word, now spelled rehearse, has picked up new meanings. Perhaps the most familiar one now is "to go through (a scene or play) over and over for practice until it is ready for performance."