rehearsal

noun

re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl How to pronounce rehearsal (audio)
1
: something recounted or told again : recital
2
a
: a private performance or practice session preparatory to a public appearance
b
: a practice exercise : trial

Examples of rehearsal in a Sentence

She was 15 minutes late to rehearsal. There are only three more rehearsals before the concert.
Recent Examples on the Web Tickets include an Italian feast at noon in the ballroom, followed by an informal rehearsal of beloved choruses by Bach, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Handel at 2 p.m. in Springer Auditorium. Details: noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Music Hall, 1245 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024 Thankfully, the London Dungeon act will have the rehearsals and resources Willy’s Chocolate Experience sorely lacked — outraged parents called the police and demanded refunds once the pop-up was shut down. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Despite her demanding career, Phylicia would do her best to keep Billy close, including taking him to rehearsals of The Wiz with her. Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 The choreography is accompanied by avant-garde composer György Ligeti’s Quartet No. 1, and after the rehearsal, Gifford explained that Wheeldon wanted to create an atmosphere that was musically challenging. Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024 Baldwin was pointing the gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on the set outside of Santa Fe when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 Prior to a rehearsal for the teen choral concert, Burton, 41, took questions from the students, responding with a mixture of encouragement to keep singing and to consider music school, and with down-to-earth, practical advice. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2024 The tragic news of Hutchins' death sent shockwaves through the film industry and raised a number of questions about how an on-location rehearsal at Bonanza Creek Ranch, southwest of Santa Fe, could have gone so wrong. Bill Chappell, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024 Even the stage walks are carefully choreographed, with stand-ins striding and standing like the real A-listers during first rehearsals. Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rehearsal was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rehearsal

Cite this Entry

“Rehearsal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rehearsal. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rehearsal

noun
re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl How to pronounce rehearsal (audio)
1
: a private performance or practice session in preparation for a public appearance
2
: a practice exercise : trial

Medical Definition

rehearsal

noun
re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl How to pronounce rehearsal (audio)
1
: a method for improving memory by mentally or verbally repeating over and over the information to be remembered
2
: the repeated mental review of a desired action or behavioral response
preoperative rehearsal of coping imagery to reduce anxiety

More from Merriam-Webster on rehearsal

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