viola

1 of 2

noun (1)

vi·​o·​la vī-ˈō-lə How to pronounce viola (audio) vē- How to pronounce viola (audio) ˈvī-ə- How to pronounce viola (audio)
: violet sense 1a
especially : any of various garden hybrids with solitary white, yellow, or purple often variegated flowers resembling but smaller than typical pansies

viola

2 of 2

noun (2)

vi·​o·​la vē-ˈō-lə How to pronounce viola (audio)
: a musical instrument of the violin family that is intermediate in size and compass between the violin and cello and is tuned a fifth below the violin
violist
vē-ˈō-list How to pronounce viola (audio)
noun

Examples of viola 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.
Noun
Insert two goalies who have played very well and viola, the wins have followed. — Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2025 Syrah, on the other hand, is more similar to the viola, offering complexity and depth. — Rachel King, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025 To clear things up: All pansies are violas, but not all violas are pansies. — Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2025 Ornamental cabbage and kale plants combine beautifully with pansies and violas in winter containers. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for viola

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, borrowed from Latin, "violet" — more at violet

Noun (2)

borrowed from Italian, "viola, viol," borrowed from Old Occitan viola, viula "viol" — more at viol

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1786, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of viola was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing viola

Rhymes for viola

See All Rhymes for viola

Browse Nearby Words

viola
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Viola.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/viola. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

viola

1 of 2 noun
vi·​o·​la vī-ˈō-lə How to pronounce viola (audio) vē- How to pronounce viola (audio)
: violet sense 1a
especially : any of various garden plants that have white, yellow, purple, or variously colored flowers and that resemble but are smaller than the related pansies

viola

2 of 2 noun
vi·​o·​la vē-ˈō-lə How to pronounce viola (audio)
: a stringed musical instrument like a violin but slightly larger and lower in pitch

More from Merriam-Webster on viola

Nglish: Translation of viola for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about viola

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

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

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

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

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

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

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

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

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