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ritenuto

American  
[ree-tuh-noo-toh, ree-te-noo-taw] / ˌri təˈnu toʊ, ˌri tɛˈnu tɔ /

adverb

  1. (of a passage in a musical score) immediately slower.

ritenuto British  
/ ˌrɪtəˈnuːtəʊ /

adjective

  1. held back momentarily

  2. another term for rallentando

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of ritenuto

1820–30; < Italian: literally, held back, past participle of ritenere; see retain

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.

A definitely slower tempo at once     più lento meno mosso ritenuto     3.

From Essentials in Conducting by Gehrkens, Karl Wilson

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.