tempo

American  

[tem-poh] / ˈtɛm poʊ /

noun

tempos, plural tempi plural

1. Music. relative rapidity or rate of movement, usually indicated by such terms as adagio, allegro, etc., or by reference to the metronome.

2. characteristic rate, rhythm, or pattern of work or activity.

   the tempo of city life.

3. Chess. the gaining or losing of time and effectiveness relative to one's continued mobility or developing position, especially with respect to the number of moves required to gain an objective.

   Black gained a tempo.

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tempo British  

/ ˈtɛmpəʊ /

noun

1. the speed at which a piece or passage of music is meant to be played, usually indicated by a musical direction ( tempo marking ) or metronome marking

2. rate or pace

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tempo Cultural  

1. In music, the speed at which a piece is performed. It is the Italian word for “time.”

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tempi
  plural
• tempos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tempo

1680–90; < Italian < Latin tempus time

Explanation

If no one is dancing at your party, you probably want to put on some music with a faster tempo — meaning a faster speed. The word tempo came into English by way of Italian, tracing all the way back to the Latin word tempus, meaning time. It was originally used to describe the timing of music, or the speed at which a piece of music is played. For example, a soothing song would be described as a slow tempo song. Tempo is still used in this way to describe music, but you’ll also hear it used to refer to pace or speed in general, as in — "the increased tempo at the end of a close basketball game" or "the slow tempo of action in a novel."

Example Sentences

As the sun began to lower, the men gathered in a circle, the tempo of their chest-thumping accelerating with the intensity of their chants.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026

He wants to see free-flowing games at a higher tempo.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

U.S. commanders say they are selecting targets at more than 10-fold the tempo in Iraq.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

That provided direct evidence that touch itself plays a causal role in shaping timbre, rather than simply accompanying other musical effects like loudness or tempo.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

A child can be the conductor of the piece, and set a tempo by slowly moving their finger along the “score” as other children perform their different parts.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

• cadence
• momentum
• pace
• velocity