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• aria
  aria

  noun

  an air or melody.
• Aria
  Aria

  noun

  a nymph, the mother of Miletus, by Apollo.
• -aria
  -aria

  a suffix occurring in scientific terms of Latin origin, especially in names of biological genera and groups.

aria

¹ American  

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

noun

arias plural

1. an air or melody.

2. an elaborate melody sung solo with accompaniment, as in an opera or oratorio.

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Aria ² American  

[ahr-ee-uh, uh-rahy-uh] / ˈɑr i ə, əˈraɪ ə /

noun

Classical Mythology.

1. a nymph, the mother of Miletus, by Apollo.

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-aria ³ American  

1. a suffix occurring in scientific terms of Latin origin, especially in names of biological genera and groups.

   filaria.

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aria British  

/ ˈɑːrɪə /

noun

1. an elaborate accompanied song for solo voice from a cantata, opera, or oratorio See also da capo

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aria Cultural  

1. 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.

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Discover More

Some composers, such as Richard Wagner, have felt that arias interrupt the action of opera too much and hence have written operas without them.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• arias
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aria¹

From Italian, dating back to 1735–45; see origin at air ¹

Origin of -aria³

< Latin: feminine singular or neuter plural of -ārius -ary

Explanation

An aria is an elaborate song written specifically for a solo voice. If you find yourself belting out "Che gelida manina" from La Boheme in the shower, you’ve just been performing an aria. The word aria comes from the Italian and means "air." The word is often used to describe songs from operas. Two famous ones include “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” — "Love is a rebellious bird" — and “O mio babbino caro” — "Oh my dear Papa!" It is sometimes used almost metaphorically to describe someone’s impressive solo performance of any type. Arias within opera, and classical music in general, are almost always accompanied by instrumental music, but there is only one voice.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aria Aria arias

The prevailing aural color works best in the gentler sections, such as Niamara’s appealing aria, “Love, love, come to me.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

In Costanzo’s closing aria, “Gandhi’s Prayer,” he leaves behind, Christ-like, hatred and exultation for unsullied love.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026

By contrast, Tyson’s subsequent aria revealing his own old trauma is pat and unconvincing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026

Not everyone was happy with the last minute arrangement however, with some members of the audience reportedly booing when the opera's famous aria -- Nessun dorma -- was omitted.

From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026

We are in our last week of preparations for the spring expositions, and the maestra has given me a song from the aria book, a song of courage and passion: "Vittoria, mio core" by Carissimi.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

Iran midfielder Aria Yousefi flies into the air after going for the ball against New Zealand midfielder Joe Bell.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026

A 16-year-old boy - who cannot be named for legal reasons - is currently on trial at Bristol Crown Court accused of the murder and manslaughter of Aria, both of which he denies.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

The ride along The Strip was smooth, drop off at Aria valet easy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

The Predict 2026 conference in Las Vegas was canceled by Aria casino due to concerns over its gambling license.

From Barron's ● May 14, 2026

“Can I take a picture?” the hazmat named Aria says.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

She takes all the repeats, which makes it one of the longest arias in the Baroque literature.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026

With his sensitive interpretations, Mr. Costanzo was the standout among the singers, but they all gamely tackled the challenges of their full da capo arias.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025

The setup of the scenario and characters feels rushed and thin when placed against the surging emotion of the arias and the impending menace of the weather.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025

Playwright Richard Greenberg was the maestro of shimmering verbal arias.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2025

In the best histrionic village style, Sourmelina unleashed soaring arias in which she lamented the death of her husband and castigated him for dying.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides