op·era
ˈä-p(ə-)rə 
Southern also ˈä-prē
1
: a drama set to music and made up of vocal pieces with orchestral accompaniment and orchestral overtures (see overture entry 1 sense 2) and interludes (see interlude sense 2)
2
: the score (see score entry 1 sense 6) of a musical drama
The composer finished the opera in just six weeks.
3
: the performance of an opera
The opera was delayed a half hour due to technical difficulties.
also
: a house where operas are performed
We'll meet you at the opera at 7 p.m.
Examples of opera in a Sentence
Noun
I am going to an opera tonight.
Recent Examples on the Web
George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2025
The enormous record stores—Tower, Virgin, FYE—with their endless rows of operas and concertos, have largely disappeared.
—David Denby, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
Ferguson’s 2024 look was further accentuated by a pair of black opera gloves and a small black bag.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 17 July 2025
Ayako Kurokawa makes delicate opera cakes and tarts that are almost too pretty to eat.
—Ellen Carpenter, AFAR Media, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for opera
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
In an interview several years ago, rock star Pat Benatar, who had been initially trained as an opera singer, acknowledged the difficulty in making the transition from one style to another, specifically citing her need to learn not to enunciate.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2025
The enormous record stores—Tower, Virgin, FYE—with their endless rows of operas and concertos, have largely disappeared.
—David Denby, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
Ferguson’s 2024 look was further accentuated by a pair of black opera gloves and a small black bag.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 17 July 2025
Ayako Kurokawa makes delicate opera cakes and tarts that are almost too pretty to eat.
—Ellen Carpenter, AFAR Media, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for opera
Cite this Entry
“Opera.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opera. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
opera
1 of 2plural of opus
opera
2 of 2 noun
op·era
ˈäp-(ə-)rə
1
: a play in which usually the entire text is sung with orchestral accompaniment
2
: the performance of an opera
operatic
adjective
ˌäp-ə-ˈrat-ik
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share