operetta

noun

op·​er·​et·​ta ˌä-pə-ˈre-tə How to pronounce operetta (audio)
: a usually romantic comic opera that includes songs and dancing
operettist noun

Examples of operetta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Baby Driver was almost like an operetta all the way through. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 As the demands on the Golden Fish escalate, an ominous note creeps into the musical underscoring, which otherwise often evokes comic operetta. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 12 Dec. 2023 But for fans of Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic operettas and the larger-than-life theatrical characters found in the farces of Noël Coward, Ken Ludwig and even the Marx Brothers, there are deeper layers to explore and enjoy. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2023 This comedic operetta tells the story of an upstanding young man who has been accidentally apprenticed to a band of tender-hearted pirates. oregonlive, 16 Aug. 2023 And in the score, Joplin pushed himself past ragtime into music that lilts, soars and swings with tenderness and vivacity, somewhat in the grand operetta style of Gilbert and Sullivan (if without the patter). Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 27 July 2023 The lively variety of opera, operetta, musical theater and cabaret songs will take place in La Jolla at The Jai at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center. Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2023 The cast of 'A Little Night Music' | Credit: Courtesy Pasadena Playhouse Based on Ingmar Bergman's 1955 film Smiles of a Summer Night, A Little Night Music is both a dizzyingly romantic operetta and a farcical commentary on the fools that love and desire make of us all. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 4 May 2023 But mostly when aiming for drollery, the songwriters overshoot and wind up at operetta. Jesse Green, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'operetta.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian, diminutive of opera

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of operetta was in 1770

Dictionary Entries Near operetta

Cite this Entry

“Operetta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/operetta. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

operetta

noun
op·​er·​et·​ta ˌäp-ə-ˈret-ə How to pronounce operetta (audio)
: a light play set to music with speaking, singing, and dancing scenes

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