soprano
Americannoun
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the uppermost part or voice.
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the highest singing voice in women and boys.
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a part for such a voice.
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a singer with such a voice.
adjective
noun
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the highest adult female voice, having a range approximately from middle C to the A a thirteenth above it
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the voice of a young boy before puberty
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a singer with such a voice
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the highest part of a piece of harmony
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the highest or second highest instrument in a family of instruments
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( as modifier )
a soprano saxophone
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Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of soprano
1720–30; < Italian: literally, what is above, high, equivalent to sopra (< Latin suprā above) + -ano adj. suffix
Explanation
The opera performer with the highest voice is a soprano. A soprano is usually a woman, and she can hit the high notes. A woman who sings at the highest register is one kind of soprano, and her singing voice itself can also be called a soprano. Sometimes high-voiced male singers are described this way too, although it's more common to call them countertenors, or to describe their singing voices as falsetto. Soprano is an Italian word that means "the treble in music," or "high," from sopra, or "above."
Vocabulary lists containing soprano
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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Music - Introductory
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Music - Middle School
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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:
As Selim, the visiting Turk who catches Fiorilla’s eye, bass Vincent Graña had pitch and rhythm issues, and the grating timbre of Kresley Figueroa’s big, agile soprano undercut her depiction of Fiorilla.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
The group earned critical praise for their ethereal, effects-laden sound and the soprano vocals of Elizabeth Fraser.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
A muscular female soprano — Chi’cas Reid — dominates the vocal mix, with Ayers’ mellow baritone in a supporting role.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
Californian soprano Angel Blue will join the Chineke!
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
She didn’t come to Chorus, so I sang the soprano part for Miss Violet of the Very Spiky Heels alone at our stand.
From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt
Dame Felicity Lott, one of Britain's best-loved sopranos, has died at the age of 79.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
Two sopranos and a countertenor depict a paradisiacal dream world of “fairies in the forest,” accompanied by an improvising violin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
In their study, the scientists showed that the high-frequency sounds of operatic sopranos are produced with the same principle than speech and most other forms of singing.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2024
On a recent summer morning in New York, three sopranos, a director and a small crew gathered for a rehearsal of “The Hunt,” a new opera by Kate Soper.
From New York Times ● Oct. 5, 2023
On the drive home, Uhmma talks about how Pastor Kim wants her to join the chorus, they need more sopranos.
From "A Step from Heaven" by An Na
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.
