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definitions

aria

[ ahr-ee-uh, air-ee-uh ]
/ ˈɑr i ə, ˈɛər i ə /
|

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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for arias

British Dictionary definitions for arias

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 arias

aria

n.

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

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

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.