soprano

American  

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

noun

plural

sopranos

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

Californian soprano Angel Blue will join the Chineke!

From BBC • Apr. 20, 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

The four soloists — soprano Pretty Yende, mezzo-soprano Sarah Saturnino, tenor SeokJong Baek and bass Nicholas Brownlee — were needfully robust and powerful.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

The sirens droned on, a soprano counterpoint to the bombs’ relentless bass, their pitch so eerily human it sounded like every soul in London had taken to their rooftops to cry out collective despair.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

Related Words

• singer