adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of choral
1580–90; < Medieval Latin chorālis, equivalent to chor ( us ) chorus + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
When a large, organized group sings together, the music can be described as choral. Singing the choral piece "Messiah" by Handel is an annual tradition for many people who celebrate Christmas. The adjective choral is used for music that's sung by a choir or chorus — or written for voices, rather than instruments. It also describes anything connected to that kind of singing, like choral groups, choral concerts, and choral scholars who major in music at college. The word comes from the Greek khoros, which means "dance," but implies some singing too.
Vocabulary lists containing choral
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.
Choral call-and-response vocals carry South African tradition into the electronic wilderness of 21st-century romance.
From New York Times • Mar. 22, 2024
The couple formed the Pace Choral Union, a gospel choir of 75 singers at its inception and 200 at its peak.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2023
Rabbi Goldschmidt, who is also president of the Conference of European Rabbis, has led the Moscow Choral Synagogue for the past 33 years, i24news.tv, an Israeli website, reported Tuesday.
From Washington Times • Jun. 7, 2022
The Cathedral Choral Society originally intended to present “I Have Something to Say” in 2020 as a reflection on the centennial of the 19th Amendment.
From Washington Post • Mar. 2, 2022
Choral music in which the parts have mostly the same rhythms at the same time is homophonic.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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.
