sonnet

noun

son·​net ˈsä-nət How to pronounce sonnet (audio)
: a fixed verse form of Italian origin consisting of 14 lines that are typically 5-foot iambics rhyming according to a prescribed scheme
also : a poem in this pattern

Examples of sonnet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Artificial intelligence has never been more powerful, constantly expanding its litany of flexes — from generating sonnets and fantastical images to believably mimicking emotions, all while churning through mountains of data faster than any human being could. Adriana Lee, WWD, 26 Nov. 2024 And that a major plot in the novels involves sentient, talking animals that love sonnets and science? Constance Grady, Vox, 20 Nov. 2024 People who spend the day after a date writing sonnets in their Notes app. Olivia Petter, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2024 According to Open Source Shakespeare, a web page containing all of the bard’s plays, poems and sonnets, there are 884,421 words in the entire works of Shakespeare. David Hodari, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sonnet 

Word History

Etymology

Italian sonetto, from Old Occitan sonet little song, from son sound, song, from Latin sonus sound

First Known Use

circa 1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sonnet was circa 1555

Dictionary Entries Near sonnet

Cite this Entry

“Sonnet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonnet. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

sonnet

noun
son·​net ˈsän-ət How to pronounce sonnet (audio)
: a poem of 14 lines usually rhyming by a fixed scheme

More from Merriam-Webster on sonnet

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