call-and-response

noun

call-and-re·sponse ˌkȯl-ən(d)-ri-ˈspän(t)s

: a statement quickly followed by an answering statement

also : a musical phrase in which the first and often solo part is answered by a second and often ensemble part

Examples of call-and-response in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Me Da La Gana with lively plena, a Puerto-Rican folk call-and-response genre. —

Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2025 Produced by Luke himself, the track is built around infectious call-and-response vocals, rapid-fire hi-hats, and a pulsating 808 bassline that rattled trunks across South Florida. —

Walaa Elsiddig, Billboard, 6 Dec. 2024 But beyond its on-screen appeal, the Jamaican folk song is ideal for kids who enjoy repetition and call-and-response, two popular characteristics of children’s music, presented here in a format that parents will find catchy, too. —

Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 5 Dec. 2024 Absent, too, was the usual call-and-response about what the student was seeking out of their interpretation. —

Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for call-and-response

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of call-and-response was in 1827

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Call-and-response.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/call-and-response. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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