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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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."

Example Sentences

Ms. Burgess’s light soprano and plaintive vibrato suggest that Thorn Rose is not entirely convinced that awakening is a good idea, but she goes along with it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

The eight-week season will feature 86 concerts in London, Gateshead, Bristol, Middlesborough, Sunderland and Mold, with appearances by percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, soprano Louise Alder and pianist Yuja Wang.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Yvonne Russo’s documentary “Viva Verdi!” captures the vibrant life inside its walls, expressed in the aria “Sweet Dreams of Joy,” sung by soprano Ana María Martínez and composed by Nicholas Pike.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

The coinage is a nod to Brünnhilde, a soprano role stereotypically portrayed as a robust figure in a horned helmet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Whenever there was a pause in the song she filled it with gasping broken sobs and then took up the lyric again in a quavering soprano.

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Related Words

• singer