- plural of opus.
opera
1 Americannoun
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an extended dramatic composition, in which all parts are sung to instrumental accompaniment, that usually includes arias, choruses, and recitatives, and that sometimes includes ballet.
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the form or branch of musical and dramatic art represented by such compositions.
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the score or the words of such a composition.
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a performance of one.
to go to the opera.
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(sometimes initial capital letter) an opera house or resident company.
the Paris Opera.
noun
noun
noun
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an extended dramatic work in which music constitutes a dominating feature, either consisting of separate recitatives, arias, and choruses, or having a continuous musical structure
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the branch of music or drama represented by such works
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the score, libretto, etc, of an opera
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a theatre where opera is performed
Etymology
Origin of opera
1635–45; < Italian: work, opera < Latin, plural of opus service, work, a work, opus
Explanation
An opera is a theatrical piece that tells a story totally through the music. It consists of recitatives which provide the narrative plot line and elaborate chorus singing, along with duets and arias, which are the parts we most remember. We get the word opera from the Latin and, later, from the Italian, a noun formed from the word operari, "to work." The style evolved in Italy around 1600, and was initially unrealistic, mainly a chance for soloists to show off. In the mid-18th Century the focus shifted to both strong story and exquisite singing. Emotion is an important quality, a trait carried over to "soap operas" which have no singing but plenty of fake tears.
Vocabulary lists containing opera
Music - Introductory
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Music - Middle School
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Theater - Introductory
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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.
If coverage of the Royal Family can seem like a soap opera, it's never more so than when Prince Harry is in town.
From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026
His mother was of European descent and his father was a Cantonese opera star who was on tour in the city, affording his son birthright citizenship.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026
The better choice is Mr. Adams’s first opera, “Nixon in China,” a collaboration with the librettist Alice Goodman and the director Peter Sellars that had its premiere, in Houston, in 1987.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
“Because what is funnier than appearing in one soap opera? Appearing in two!” he said.
From Salon • Jun. 30, 2026
I had never seen a soap opera in America, so I had no frame of reference, but the Iranian soap operas were absurd.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
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.
