allegretto

[ al-i-gret-oh; Italian ahl-le-gret-taw ]

/ ˌæl ɪˈgrɛt oʊ; Italian ˌɑl lɛˈgrɛt tɔ /

Music.

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adjective, adverb

light, graceful, and moderately fast in tempo.

noun, plural al·le·gret·tos.

an allegretto movement.

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Origin of allegretto

1730–40; <Italian, equivalent to allegr(o) allegro + -etto-et

Words nearby allegretto

allegorist, allegoristic, allegorize, allegory, Allegra, allegretto, Allegri, allegro, allele, allele frequency, allelomorph

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use allegretto in a sentence

You have made a transition from the frolicsome allegretto of the bachelor to the heavy andante of the father of a family.
The Petty Troubles of Married Life, Complete|Honore de Balzac
The Allegretto vivace of the first of these quartets was long a rock of offence.
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume II (of 3)|Alexander Wheelock Thayer
Schindlers account of the origin of the famous Allegretto Scherzando adds a new name to our dramatis person.
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume II (of 3)|Alexander Wheelock Thayer
It is now to be seen whether Schindlers account of the Allegretto Scherzando will bear examination.
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume II (of 3)|Alexander Wheelock Thayer

Schindler here prints the now well-known canon and adds: Out of this canon was developed the Allegretto Scherzando.
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume II (of 3)|Alexander Wheelock Thayer

British Dictionary definitions for allegretto

allegretto

/ (ˌælɪˈɡrɛtəʊ) music /

adjective, adverb

(to be performed) fairly quickly or briskly

noun plural -tos

a piece or passage to be performed in this manner

Word Origin for allegretto

C19: diminutive of allegro

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012