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Synonyms

sinfonietta

American  
[sin-fuhn-yet-uh, -fohn-] / ˌsɪn fənˈyɛt ə, -foʊn- /

noun

  1. a short symphony.

  2. a small symphony orchestra, often composed solely of stringed instruments.

  3. a symphony for fewer than the usual number of instruments.

sinfonietta British  
/ ˌsɪnfənˈjɛtə, -fəʊn- /

noun

  1. a short or light symphony

  2. (capital when part of name) a small symphony orchestra

"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 sinfonietta

1920–25; < Italian; diminutive of sinfonia sinfonia

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.

And much of the balance between his group and the sinfonietta was yet to be hashed out.

From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2022

The number of musicians of color in the sinfonietta has grown from around 12 percent when we began to almost 50 percent today.

From Chicago Tribune • May 18, 2011

Via Gleam is a stately, classical sinfonietta that can be read�rather like a simplified musical score�from top to bottom.

From Time Magazine Archive

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.