oratorio
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of oratorio
1625–35; < Italian: small chapel < Late Latin ōrātōrium oratory 2; so named from the musical services in the church of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Rome
Explanation
An oratorio is a musical piece that is usually lengthy and based on some Biblical or religious event. It is a performance for voice and orchestra, but the story is told through the music, and not with scenery, costumes, and action. In Rome, musical services were presented in the church of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. An oratory, from the Latin word oratorium, meant "place of prayer." These sorts of musical services spawned the type of music known as oratorios. Handel's Messiah is a well known oratorio that is often performed at Christmas. You are probably familiar with the part that goes "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!"
Vocabulary lists containing oratorio
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 2
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Body Language: Or, Os ("Mouth")
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Harry Bicket and the English Concert presented the composer’s highly theatrical but little-known 1745 oratorio in an uneven but frequently arresting performance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
The composer struts in during a rehearsal, uncorks an embarrassingly stagey speech about his life and views, and forbids Guthrie from putting his modern spin on the oratorio.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025
When he last appeared with the orchestra in December 2024, he led two programs, the second being Schoenberg’s massive oratorio, “Gurrelieder,” which proved remarkable for his age and remarkable for his performance.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2025
The latter was an example of how the overuse of this overwrought oratorio made it perfect fodder for parody, and the humor of juicing something comedic with its uber-seriousness.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2025
This contemporary lithograph lampoons the panicked gentry who fled the city - and thus turned Handel’s new oratorio, Theodora, into a box-office flop.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
