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definitions

aria

[ ahr-ee-uh, air-ee-uh ]
/ ˈɑr i ə, ˈɛər i ə /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR aria ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an air or melody.
an elaborate melody sung solo with accompaniment, as in an opera or oratorio.

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RELATED WORDS

hymn, descant, song

Nearby words

  1. argüedas,
  2. arhat,
  3. arhinia,
  4. arhythmia,
  5. arhythmic,
  6. aria da capo,
  7. ariadne,
  8. arian,
  9. ariane,
  10. arianism

Origin of aria

From Italian, dating back to 1735–45; see origin at air1
Can be confusedarea aria

Aria

[ ahr-ee-uh, uh-rahy-uh ]
/ ˈɑr i ə, əˈraɪ ə /

noun Classical Mythology.

a nymph, the mother of Miletus, by Apollo.

-aria

a suffix occurring in scientific terms of Latin origin, especially in names of biological genera and groups: filaria.

Origin of -aria

< Latin: feminine singular or neuter plural of -ārius -ary
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for aria

British Dictionary definitions for aria

aria

/ (ˈɑːrɪə) /

noun

an elaborate accompanied song for solo voice from a cantata, opera, or oratorioSee also da capo

Word Origin for aria

C18: from Italian: tune, air
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
Word Origin and History for aria

aria

n.

from Italian aria, literally "air" (see air (n.1)).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Culture definitions for aria

aria

[ (ahr-ee-uh) ]

A piece of music for one voice (or occasionally two voices) in an opera, oratorio, or cantata. In contrast with recitative singing, arias are melodious; in contrast with ordinary songs, arias are usually elaborate.

Note

Some composers, such as Richard Wagner, have felt that arias interrupt the action of opera too much and hence have written operas without them.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.