reprise
Americannoun
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reprises
plural
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Law. Usually reprises. an annual deduction, duty, or payment out of a manor or estate, as an annuity or the like.
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Music.
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a repetition.
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a return to the first theme or subject.
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verb (used with object)
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reprises,
present (3rd person singular)
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reprised,
past participle, past
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reprising
present participle
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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reprisesimple
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reprisessimple
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have reprisedperfect
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has reprisedperfect
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am reprisingprogressive
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are reprisingprogressive
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is reprisingprogressive
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have been reprisingperfect progressive
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has been reprisingperfect progressive
Past
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reprisedsimple
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had reprisedperfect
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was reprisingprogressive
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were reprisingprogressive
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had been reprisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reprise
1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French: a taking back, Old French, noun use of feminine past participle of reprendre to take back < Latin reprehendere to reprehend
Explanation
Reprise means "repeat an earlier role." If you’re asked to reprise your role as "kid entertainer" at the annual family reunion, that means people want you to do it again this year. Early on, reprise was a part in a song or other musical composition that is repeated. The word still carries that meaning, but now it's more likely to be used as a verb to describe an action or part that is repeated, often a performance. For example, if you played a role in a wildly successful film that is going to have a sequel, you would reprise your role. The word comes from the French word repris, meaning "take back."
Vocabulary lists containing reprise
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This Week In Popular Culture: August 17–23, 2019
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This Week In Culture: August 1–6, 2020
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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.
See Examples For:
The protests are widely seen as a reprise of the "cockroach" movement's mass mobilisation in July, which led to the education minister stepping down over an examination scandal.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
But the risk of exclusion is always there, as when Walmart failed to secure Rachel McAdams to reprise her Regina George character for its ad bringing together the rest of the “Mean Girls” principals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The original cast of Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas will reprise their roles for the feature film, with production starting on Monday.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” will also see Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon reprise their roles and also features Mark Ruffalo and Jon Bernthal among others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Before Chapter Eleven, in a reprise of Desdemona’s gender prognostications, began wearing a tiny silver spoon around his neck.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Two decades later, he reprises that role in “Primetime,” the A24 movie about the Dateline reality series “To Catch a Predator.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Fast facts: Tom Holland reprises his role as Marvel’s Spidey, aka Peter Parker, in this long-awaited follow-up to 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
Fans entering Burke’s show were greeted by a casket and guest book, where they could pay condolences to a character Burke sometimes reprises in his performances and music videos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
Australia's Samara Weaving reprises her starring role in the sequel, which sees her forced once again to run a gauntlet, this time against multiple families.
From Barron's ● Mar. 22, 2026
They did not hesitate to embroider the compositions, and the reprises were widespread.
From On the Execution of Music, and Principally of Ancient Music by Camille Saint-Saëns
Walters starred in Gavin and Stacey from its launch in 2007 and reprised her role for a 2024 Christmas special.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Yet until now, the orchestra has never reprised this intensely thoughtful and emotionally freighted piece.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
The north London club have reprised their famous yellow for this season's third strip, with a kit reminiscent of away shirts worn by Arsenal players during the late 1980s.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Hottle reprised the role in the 2024 follow-up, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The bathers passed and reprised with little concern, while the corpse continued extended on the shore, not twenty yards from the Steine.
From Beaux and Belles of England Mrs. Mary Robinson, Written by Herself, With the lives of the Duchesses of Gordon and Devonshire by Mary Robinson
The fourth series he’s produced this year, this “Yellowstone” spinoff has Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser reprising their roles and doing battle against a rival rancher in South Texas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026
Even with all four main players from the original cast reprising their roles, and Aline Brosh McKenna and David Frankel returning to write and direct, respectively, none of this merit was guaranteed.
From Salon ● May 1, 2026
And in “Giant,” John Lithgow, reprising his Olivier Award-winning performance, portrays the author in all his dyspeptic glory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
The film sees Oscar winner Murphy reprising his role as gang leader Tommy Shelby who is depicted returning to the city during World War Two.
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026
"Then through here—" Miss Avery continued passing and reprising through the hall.
From Howards End by E. M. (Edward Morgan) Forster
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