reprise
Americannoun
-
reprises
plural
-
Law. Usually reprises. an annual deduction, duty, or payment out of a manor or estate, as an annuity or the like.
-
Music.
-
a repetition.
-
a return to the first theme or subject.
-
verb (used with object)
-
reprises,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reprised,
past participle, past
-
reprising
present participle
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
reprisesimple
-
reprisessimple
-
have reprisedperfect
-
has reprisedperfect
-
am reprisingprogressive
-
are reprisingprogressive
-
is reprisingprogressive
-
have been reprisingperfect progressive
-
has been reprisingperfect progressive
Past
-
reprisedsimple
-
had reprisedperfect
-
was reprisingprogressive
-
were reprisingprogressive
-
had been reprisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reprise
1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French: a taking back, Old French, noun use of feminine past participle of reprendre to take back < Latin reprehendere to reprehend
Explanation
Reprise means "repeat an earlier role." If you’re asked to reprise your role as "kid entertainer" at the annual family reunion, that means people want you to do it again this year. Early on, reprise was a part in a song or other musical composition that is repeated. The word still carries that meaning, but now it's more likely to be used as a verb to describe an action or part that is repeated, often a performance. For example, if you played a role in a wildly successful film that is going to have a sequel, you would reprise your role. The word comes from the French word repris, meaning "take back."
Vocabulary lists containing reprise
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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!
This Week In Popular Culture: August 17–23, 2019
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!
This Week In Culture: August 1–6, 2020
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.
See Examples For:
The protests are widely seen as a reprise of the "cockroach" movement's mass mobilisation in July, which led to the education minister stepping down over an examination scandal.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
But the risk of exclusion is always there, as when Walmart failed to secure Rachel McAdams to reprise her Regina George character for its ad bringing together the rest of the “Mean Girls” principals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The original cast of Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas will reprise their roles for the feature film, with production starting on Monday.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
The National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, venue for the fashion show being held later on Thursday, will also host a reprise of the famous 1985 museum exhibition by Lagerfeld.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
When she was getting close to retiring, the opera decided to reprise her role one last time.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
The chorus of “Stone Fruit” has a lot in common with that of the title track, and “Two Fried” reprises elements of “Lucky.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Two decades later, he reprises that role in “Primetime,” the A24 movie about the Dateline reality series “To Catch a Predator.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Fans entering Burke’s show were greeted by a casket and guest book, where they could pay condolences to a character Burke sometimes reprises in his performances and music videos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
Anya Taylor-Joy reprises her role as Princess Peach, and Wednesday star Luis Guzmán plays Wart - the main enemy from 1988 NES game Super Mario Bros 2.
From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026
Nowadays reprises are suppressed, and that is more prudent.
From On the Execution of Music, and Principally of Ancient Music by Camille Saint-Saëns
Walters is best known for playing Gwen West in the BBC comedy, which she appeared in from its launch in 2007 and then reprised her role for the 2024 Christmas special.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
On Saturday, the band reprised its recent two-nights/no-repeats gambit with a completely different setlist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Yet until now, the orchestra has never reprised this intensely thoughtful and emotionally freighted piece.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
The young-and-old distinction of legendary Barcelona centre-back duo Puyol and Pique has been reprised in this tournament through Laporte and Cubarsi.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
The bathers passed and reprised with little concern, while the corpse continued extended on the shore, not twenty yards from the Steine.
From Beaux and Belles of England Mrs. Mary Robinson, Written by Herself, With the lives of the Duchesses of Gordon and Devonshire by Mary Robinson
The season premiere opened Saturday with Ramy Youssef reprising his role as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, delivering an update on the nor’easter battering the East Coast before James Austin Johnson’s Trump arrived unexpectedly.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
More important than reprising the past is asking whether we have the fortitude and tools to prevent the next attack.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Fans cheered for the return of the Jonas Brothers reprising their original Disney roles in “Camp Rock 3.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
The film sees Oscar winner Murphy reprising his role as gang leader Tommy Shelby who is depicted returning to the city during World War Two.
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026
"Then through here—" Miss Avery continued passing and reprising through the hall.
From Howards End by E. M. (Edward Morgan) Forster
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
