sonata

American  

[suh-nah-tuh] / səˈnɑ tə /

noun

Music.

sonatas plural

1. a composition for one or two instruments, typically in three or four movements in contrasted forms and keys.

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sonata British  

/ səˈnɑːtə /

noun

1. an instrumental composition, usually in three or more movements, for piano alone ( piano sonata ) or for any other instrument with or without piano accompaniment ( violin sonata , cello sonata , etc) See also sonata form symphony concerto

2. a one-movement keyboard composition of the baroque period

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sonata Cultural  

1. A musical composition for one or two instruments, usually in three or four movements. The sonata of the classic era in music had a definite arrangement for its movements: the first and fourth had a fast tempo, the second had a slow tempo, and the third was in either playful style (a “scherzo”) or in dance form (a “minuet”).

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sonatas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sonata

1685–95; < Italian < Latin sonāta, feminine of sonātus (past participle of sonāre to sound ¹ ). See sonant, -ate ¹

Compare meaning

How does sonata compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sonata vs. concerto

Explanation

A sonata is a long piece of classical music that's usually made up of several parts. A sonata can be played by an orchestra or just one instrument, like a piano. If you're a classical music fan, you've probably heard sonatas played in concert halls or on recordings. Beethoven and Mozart famously composed sonatas for the piano, and modern composers continue to write sonatas for many different instruments. The Italian word sonata has come to mean "piece of instrumental music," although its literal translation is "sounded" or "played." This is in contrast to another Italian musical term, cantata, which means "sung," or "musical piece that is sung."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sonata sonatas

Put on the sonata and let your mind swim unattended.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

Many fans have moved on as well, some perhaps deciding there’s more musical transcendence and power in one Beethoven sonata than in the entire rock catalog.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026

“When Harry Met Sally” rings so true because there isn’t a single false note in its lovely sonata.

From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2025

Brahms’ early sonata remains undistinguished except for a stunning rendition of the slow movement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2025

I concentrate on the notes, imagining myself playing, feeling grateful for this chance to practice, happy to be in a warm car with my sonata and my family.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

But a startling number of pieces—symphonies, sonatas, madrigals, sonnets, even ambitious operas—were composed to the highest standards of professional musicianship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026

In fact, this may be one reason why Brahms’ only solo music for viola was an alternate version he made of his two clarinet sonatas composed near the end of his life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2025

Largely erased from classical music history because he was biracial, the 18th-century French Caribbean violinist and composer Joseph Bologne wrote concertos, sonatas and symphonies.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 19, 2023

Before the Schubert, Vogt and the Tetzlaffs had essayed the three Brahms trios, as well as two by Dvorak; with Christian alone, there were accounts of sonatas by Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms.

From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2023

I shall write sonatas en trio; and Slant perhaps shall be proprietor of his own plantation.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson