plural sopranos
1
: the highest singing voice of women or boys and formerly of castrati
also
: a person having this voice
2
: the highest voice part in a 4-part chorus
3
: a member of a family of instruments having the highest range
Examples of soprano in a Sentence
Noun
She sings in a high soprano.
Recent Examples on the Web
David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
Mary Elizabeth Williams, a soprano with a strong lower extension, was mesmerizing in the title role, her superb diction giving emotional edge to a sometimes wooden text.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
There will be 20-plus singers in the chorus and around 20 musicians, plus four soloists — sopranos Kimberly McCord and Emily Mwilla; tenor Cameo Humes; and bass Noah Gartner.
—Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
Dessay at Stanford: French operatic soprano Natalie Dessay returns to the Bay Area on March 1 as part of the Stanford Live series.
—Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soprano
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Noun
The concert stars soprano Mariana Flores Bucio and tenor Miguel Zazueta.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
Mary Elizabeth Williams, a soprano with a strong lower extension, was mesmerizing in the title role, her superb diction giving emotional edge to a sometimes wooden text.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
There will be 20-plus singers in the chorus and around 20 musicians, plus four soloists — sopranos Kimberly McCord and Emily Mwilla; tenor Cameo Humes; and bass Noah Gartner.
—Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
Dessay at Stanford: French operatic soprano Natalie Dessay returns to the Bay Area on March 1 as part of the Stanford Live series.
—Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for soprano
Cite this Entry
“Soprano.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soprano. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
soprano
1 of 2 adjective
so·pra·no
sə-ˈpran-ō 
-ˈprän-
-ˈprän-
1
: relating to the soprano voice or part
2
: having a high range
soprano sax
soprano
2 of 2 noun
plural sopranos
1
: the highest voice part in harmony for four parts with men's and women's voices compare alto sense 1b, bass entry 2 sense 1a, tenor sense 2a
2
: the highest singing voice of women or boys
also
: a person with this voice
Etymology
Adjective
from Italian soprano "relating to a soprano or soprano part," from sopra "above," from Latin supra "above"
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