ritenuto

[ ree-tuh-noo-toh; Italian ree-te-noo-taw ]

/ ˌri təˈnu toʊ; Italian ˌri tɛˈnu tɔ /

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adverb, adjective

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

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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

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Origin of ritenuto

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

Words nearby ritenuto

rita, Ritalin, ritardando, rite, rite de passage, ritenuto, rite of intensification, rite of passage, rites of passage, ritonavir, ritornello

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

British Dictionary definitions for ritenuto

ritenuto

/ (ˌrɪtəˈnuːtəʊ) /

adjective, adverb music

held back momentarily

another term for rallentando

Abbreviation: rit

Word Origin for ritenuto

C19: from Italian, from past participle of ritenere, from Latin retinēre to hold back

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