soprano

American  

[suh-pran-oh, -prah-noh] / səˈpræn oʊ, -ˈprɑ noʊ /

noun

• sopranos
  plural

1. the uppermost part or voice.

2. the highest singing voice in women and boys.

3. a part for such a voice.

4. a singer with such a voice.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a soprano; having the compass of a soprano.

soprano British  

/ səˈprɑːnəʊ /

noun

1. the highest adult female voice, having a range approximately from middle C to the A a thirteenth above it

2. the voice of a young boy before puberty

3. a singer with such a voice

4. the highest part of a piece of harmony

5. 1. the highest or second highest instrument in a family of instruments

   2. ( as modifier )

      a soprano saxophone

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soprano Cultural  

1. The highest range of the female singing voice. (Compare alto and mezzo soprano.)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sopranos
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of soprano

1720–30; < Italian: literally, what is above, high, equivalent to sopra (< Latin suprā above) + -ano adj. suffix

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

soprano sopranos

Several species of bat were identified on the proposed site, including the common and soprano pipistrelle, as well as the myotis bat.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

Mayli Villalobos, a 34-year-old soprano and nurse, arrives at the practice after a 12-hour hospital shift.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

A celebrated army soprano and national household name, Peng helped burnish Xi’s public profile as he reached the pinnacle of power in late 2012.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Born on Sept. 2, 1943, to John and Mary Ashford, the budding soprano developed her chops singing in the church choir and then in the glee club at Wilbur Wright High School in Detroit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

“I have met only one other person who did. She was a soprano named Arabella Hefflefinger.”

From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, a thrillingly personal artist already ranked as one of the greatest of all mezzo sopranos, died from cancer 20 years ago this month at age 52.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

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

“Somebody said she’s the new Nina Stemme. I disagree. She’s the new Nilsson,” he said in a comparison with Birgit Nilsson, regarded as one of the greatest Wagnerian sopranos of the 20th century.

From Seattle Times ● May 13, 2024

All three sopranos were creating separate, self-taped auditions, for a show within the show.

From New York Times ● Oct. 5, 2023

It was easier for Chester to play the ones written for tenors than the ones for sopranos, contraltos, and basses, but he did them all beautifully.

From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden

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