sonata

noun

so·​na·​ta sə-ˈnä-tə How to pronounce sonata (audio)
: an instrumental musical composition typically of three or four movements in contrasting forms and keys

Examples of sonata 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.
Denk had previously, marvelously, recorded Ives’s two piano sonatas. — Oussama Zahr, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025 The program will pair J.S. Bach’s sonatas with Iyer’s compositions. — Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2025 Be open always to the world around you, and the sighting of a fox, say, or a Mozart sonata overheard on a neighbor’s radio, will be reason enough to revel. — airmail.news, 9 Sep. 2024 Two of Beethoven’s most philosophical, probing sonatas frame a suite of jazz, ragtime, and popular song — from Joplin to Nina Simone … Charles Ives didn’t just want to mix popular and classical music. — Jane Levere, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for sonata

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from sonare to sound, from Latin

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sonata was in 1786

Phrases Containing sonata

Rhymes for sonata

See All Rhymes for sonata

Browse Nearby Words

sonata
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sonata.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonata. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

sonata

noun
so·​na·​ta sə-ˈnät-ə How to pronounce sonata (audio)
: a piece of music written for instruments and usually having three or four main parts in different styles and different keys

Medical Definition

Sonata

trademark
So·​na·​ta sō-ˈnä-tə How to pronounce Sonata (audio)
—used for a preparation of zaleplon

More from Merriam-Webster on sonata

Nglish: Translation of sonata for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sonata

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All