overture
Americannoun
-
an opening or initiating move toward negotiations, a new relationship, an agreement, etc.; a formal or informal proposal or offer.
overtures of peace; a shy man who rarely made overtures of friendship.
-
Music.
-
an orchestral composition forming the prelude or introduction to an opera, oratorio, etc.
-
an independent piece of similar character.
-
-
an introductory part, as of a poem; prelude; prologue.
-
(in Presbyterian churches)
-
the action of an ecclesiastical court in submitting a question or proposal to presbyteries.
-
the proposal or question so submitted.
-
verb (used with object)
-
to submit as an overture or proposal.
to overture conditions for a ceasefire.
-
to make an overture or proposal to.
to overture one's adversary through a neutral party.
noun
-
music
-
a piece of orchestral music containing contrasting sections that is played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio, often containing the main musical themes of the work
-
a similar piece preceding the performance of a play
-
Also called: concert overture. a one-movement orchestral piece, usually having a descriptive or evocative title
-
a short piece in three movements ( French overture or Italian overture ) common in the 17th and 18th centuries
-
-
(often plural) a proposal, act, or gesture initiating a relationship, negotiation, etc
-
something that introduces what follows
verb
-
to make or present an overture to
-
to introduce with an overture
Synonym Usage
See proposal.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overturesimple
-
overturessimple
-
have overturedperfect
-
has overturedperfect
-
am overturingprogressive
-
are overturingprogressive
-
is overturingprogressive
-
have been overturingperfect progressive
-
has been overturingperfect progressive
Past
-
overturedsimple
-
had overturedperfect
-
was overturingprogressive
-
were overturingprogressive
-
had been overturingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overture
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French; see overt, -ure; doublet of aperture
Explanation
An overture is a piece of music played by an orchestra at the beginning of an opera or play. When an overture begins, the actors take their places and wait for the curtain to rise. The noun overture can also mean "a suggestion or approach designed to get a reaction." Your romantic overture of singing to your girlfriend in the restaurant was met with an embarrassed stare. An overture can also be an event that comes first, like your story about how the after-school program has helped hundreds of kids, an overture to the plea for donations you made next.
Vocabulary lists containing overture
To Kill a Mockingbird
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week in Words: December 30, 2017 - January 5, 2018
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for October 3–9, 2020
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
But for Scott, that overture is not enough, and he has said Alberta has no option left but to set its own rules.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
The opera begins with three ceremonial chords in the orchestra that signal a brief, sober introduction quickly undercut by an exhilarating fast-forwarding overture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
The company has moved to monetize some of its real estate but rejected the takeover overture in 2024.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
In the popular overture, elicitation of tumult concludes, with startling exhilaration, in the kind of grand Beethovenian triumph that never fails to excite.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
On that night in the late fall, after their daughter’s gymnastics practice, she approached Jackie and made an overture that set in motion a cascade.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
As foreign minister from 2014 until May, when Orban stood down after an election rout, Szijjarto was deeply involved in the government's overtures towards China and BYD in particular.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Haimbe’s comments came after the then-U.S. ambassador in Lusaka, Michael Gonzales, accused Zambian officials of being corrupt and nonresponsive to American overtures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
After 9/11, the government punished ordinary Muslim Americans who refused its overtures to spy, at great personal cost, for it.
From Slate ● May 26, 2026
Katie spends much of the season vacillating between raging at Archie and feeling guilt over falling for his manipulative overtures.
From Salon ● May 11, 2026
The University of California’s medical school faculty, housed across the bay in San Francisco, was especially dismissive of Ernest’s overtures.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
The book was for many days snubbed, buffeted, browbeaten; and the care fully-woven tapestry was torn into shreds and trampled upon; and it seemed that the patiently sculptured shrine was overtured and despised and desecrated.
From St. Elmo by Evans, Augusta J. (Augusta Jane)
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.
