a tempo

[ah-tem-poh, ah-tem-paw]

adverb

Music.

1. resuming the speed obtained preceding ritardando or accelerando.

a tempo

/ ɑː ˈtɛmpəʊ /

adjective

1. to the original tempo

noun

1. a passage thus marked

Word History and Origins

Origin of a tempo¹

1730–40; < Italian: in (the regular) time

Word History and Origins

Origin of a tempo¹

Italian: in (the original) time

Example Sentences

When a tempo takes off, there’s no sense that the players are flustered or swept away in it.

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“So it was a good job of him and those guys. And really being able to execute that many plays and that quick of a tempo to give us an opportunity at the end.’

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But ultimately it was a tempo they were unable to maintain as Manchester City took advantage of a late wobble to steam past them on the home straight.

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Rose launched into the vicious opening movement at a tempo a touch more frenetic than on the album, but it was still marvelously controlled.

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It pairs the irreverence of Leaders of the New School with the sumptuous physicality of A Tribe Called Quest, all delivered at a tempo that triggers a sense of freedom and release.

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