bel canto
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of bel canto
1890–95; < Italian: literally, fine singing, equivalent to bel (cognate with beau ) + canto ( see canto)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The challenges of those two roles are one reason that the piece is less commonly performed than other bel canto operas.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026
Later observers, such as the opera critic Henry Pleasants, have noted the bel canto qualities of his singing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025
She went on to triumph in the full work at the Royal Opera, then took a three-year break from the role to explore the bel canto repertory.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 27, 2023
Born Maria Anna Sophie Cecilia Kalogeropoulos in New York in December 1923 to Greek parents, Callas was credited with the almost single-handed revival of the Italian bel canto vocal technique.
From Reuters • Oct. 25, 2023
On every side we hear the lachrymose lament that voice training is in a chaotic condition, that bel canto is a lost art, and that the golden age of song has vanished from the earth.
From The Head Voice and Other Problems Practical Talks on Singing by Clippinger, D. A. (David Alva)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
