adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of choral
1580–90; < Medieval Latin chorālis, equivalent to chor ( us ) chorus + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
When a large, organized group sings together, the music can be described as choral. Singing the choral piece "Messiah" by Handel is an annual tradition for many people who celebrate Christmas. The adjective choral is used for music that's sung by a choir or chorus — or written for voices, rather than instruments. It also describes anything connected to that kind of singing, like choral groups, choral concerts, and choral scholars who major in music at college. The word comes from the Greek khoros, which means "dance," but implies some singing too.
Vocabulary lists containing choral
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.
Renowned internationally, she had a busy concert schedule focused on art songs, choral music, opera arias and Negro spirituals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Spontaneous musical participation at a show is not quite the same as a choral performance, I’ll grant you.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
It began in Cardiff in 1992, and is one of the largest celebrations of collective singing staged in Wales, honouring the country's heritage and global choral tradition.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Their programs were not principally drill-and-kill exercises, but extended to mathematics, English composition, geography, history, and music — piano, violin, and choral programs.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
The Gabrielis also experimented with placing clusters of singers and instrumentalists in different pockets of the building, a technique known as antiphony, meaning ‘voices against each other’, or poly choral, ‘many choirs’.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
