impresario

noun

im·​pre·​sa·​rio ˌim-prə-ˈsär-ē-ˌō How to pronounce impresario (audio)
-ˈser-,
-ˈzär-
plural impresarios
1
: the promoter, manager, or conductor of an opera or concert company
2
: a person who puts on or sponsors an entertainment (such as a television show or sports event)
3

Did you know?

English borrowed impresario directly from Italian, whose noun impresa means "undertaking." A close relative is the English word emprise ("an adventurous, daring, or chivalric enterprise"), which, like impresario, traces back to the Latin verb prehendere, meaning "to seize." (That verb is also the source of apprehend, comprehend, and prehensile.) English speakers were impressed enough with impresario to borrow it in the 1700s, at first using it, as the Italians did, especially of opera company managers. It should be noted that, despite their apparent similarities, impress and impresario are not related. Impress is a descendant of the Latin pressare, a form of the verb premere, which means "to press."

Examples of impresario in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Case in point, Stephen Schwarzman, the billionaire impresario of Blackstone, the world’s largest private equity firm, just hosted a 200-person housewarming party at his $27 million mansion in Newport. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024 In the late Eighties, Titus became a concert promoter and impresario, enlisting her myriad friends and collaborators for special concerts in low-key restaurants and clubs around New York City. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024 The uplifting track — which encourages people to keep building their lives even through setbacks — was produced by the multifaceted impresario himself, and brought to life through LEGO animation. Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 24 Oct. 2024 With that same energy, American travelers, businessmen, and media impresarios have descended upon Cuba in the wake of U.S. President Barack Obama’s partial loosening of travel and trade restrictions. Michael J. Bustamante, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2015 See all Example Sentences for impresario 

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from impresa undertaking, from imprendere to undertake, from Vulgar Latin *imprehendere — more at emprise

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of impresario was in 1746

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Dictionary Entries Near impresario

Cite this Entry

“Impresario.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impresario. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

impresario

noun
im·​pre·​sa·​rio ˌim-prə-ˈsär-ē-ˌō How to pronounce impresario (audio)
-ˈsar-,
-ˈzär-
plural impresarios
: a person who puts on an entertainment (as a concert)

More from Merriam-Webster on impresario

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