aria
[ ahr-ee-uh, air-ee-uh ]
/ ˈɑr i ə, ˈɛər i ə /
Save This Word!
noun
an air or melody.
an elaborate melody sung solo with accompaniment, as in an opera or oratorio.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Meet Grammar Coach
Improve Your Writing
Origin of aria
From Italian, dating back to 1735–45; see origin at air1
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH aria
area, ariaWords nearby aria
Definition for aria (2 of 3)
Aria
[ ahr-ee-uh, uh-rahy-uh ]
/ ˈɑr i ə, əˈraɪ ə /
noun Classical Mythology.
a nymph, the mother of Miletus, by Apollo.
Definition for aria (3 of 3)
-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. 2021
Example sentences 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
Cultural 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.
notes for aria
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.