Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Gilbert and Sullivan

Cultural  
  1. Two Englishmen of the nineteenth century who wrote many witty operettas satirizing society of the Victorian period (see satire). W. S. (William Schwenck) Gilbert wrote the song lyrics and spoken dialogue, and Arthur Sullivan wrote the music. Their works include H.M.S. Pinafore, The Mikado, and The Pirates of Penzance.


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.

See Examples For:

Ed says he only realised much later that "she was singing to me songs from Gilbert and Sullivan", the Victorian-era duo Lee "adored" all her life.

From BBC Oct. 20, 2025

As a child he took piano lessons but preferred Broadway show tunes — with a particular affection for the works of Gilbert and Sullivan — to the classics.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 27, 2025

Gilbert and Sullivan created 13 operettas that are still performed today, but the manuscript for Utopia Limited has been lost.

From BBC Jan. 5, 2024

Your predicament reminds Miss Manners of the Gilbert and Sullivan general who brags about his ancestral tombs, only to be reminded that he purchased the estate quite recently.

From Washington Post Nov. 3, 2022

Like many red hunts of the day, the Tenney hearing had a Gilbert and Sullivan comic-opera flavor.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training