cadenza
Americannoun
noun
-
a virtuoso solo passage occurring near the end of a piece of music, formerly improvised by the soloist but now usually specially composed
-
informal a fit or convulsion
Etymology
Origin of cadenza
1745–55; < Italian < Vulgar Latin *cadentia a falling, equivalent to Latin cad ( ere ) to fall + -entia -ency; cf. chance
Explanation
A cadenza is a solo that’s part of a larger piece of music such as a concerto. It takes great skill to play a cadenza. Have you ever been to a rock concert and heard the guitarist or drummer do a solo? A cadenza is kind of like that, except it’s part of the classical-music tradition. Cadenzas are for virtuosos: extremely talented, expert players of their instruments. Often, a cadenza comes near the end of a piece, and the cadenza should be an exciting, powerful climax. Like many musical terms, it's on permanent loan from Italian; cadence is the closest word in modern English.
Vocabulary lists containing cadenza
Music - High School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Here's Looking at Euclid
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Blended
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Cadenza Bio is now advancing K102 through the necessary non-clinical studies required to support first-in-human clinical trials.
From Science Daily • Oct. 11, 2025
Elaine Hamm, chief operating officer at Cadenza Bio, said she and Carol Curtis, cofounder of Cadenza Bio, were impressed by the possibility of moving from slowing axon damage to repairing axon damage.
From Science Daily • Oct. 11, 2025
The patents are jointly held by UCR and UIUC, with an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement in place between the universities and Cadenza Bio.
From Science Daily • Oct. 11, 2025
The September recall covered 1.73 million Kia Borrego, Cadenza, Forte, Sportage, K900, Optima, Soul Rio, Sorento and Rondo vehicles from various model years for each vehicle from 2010 through 2017.
From Reuters • Nov. 20, 2023
The grand piano, by Cadenza of The Emporium, stood diagonally across the left centre, and on it lay the violin-case of Freddie, who told us, with modesty, that he "scraped nows and thens."
From Nights in London by Burke, Thomas
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.
