countertenor
Americannoun
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an adult male voice or voice part higher than the tenor.
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a singer with such a voice; a high tenor.
noun
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an adult male voice with an alto range
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a singer with such a voice
Etymology
Origin of countertenor
1350–1400; Middle English cownturenur, apparently < Anglo-French; compare Middle French contreteneur, Old Italian contratenore, equivalent to contra- contra- 2 ( def. ) + tenore tenor
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.
Last year, director Barrie Kosky created a sensation with his staging at Komische Oper Berlin, which starred American countertenor John Holiday.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026
Two sopranos and a countertenor depict a paradisiacal dream world of “fairies in the forest,” accompanied by an improvising violin.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
Anthony Roth Costanzo was hired Thursday as general director and president of Opera Philadelphia and will continue his career as a leading countertenor while taking over an ambitious company dealing with post-pandemic economic challenges.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 25, 2024
Instead, he’s publicly approved the more poisonous voices expressing their displeasure with López’s season, some of whom have a real incel countertenor in their tone.
From Salon • Feb. 21, 2024
The countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo performed both parts of a duet from Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” twirling from stage left to stage right with each character change.
From New York Times • Sep. 14, 2023
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.
