a cappella

adverb or adjective

a cap·​pel·​la ˌä-kə-ˈpe-lə How to pronounce a cappella (audio)
variants or less commonly a capella
: without instrumental accompaniment
The choir sang the chants a cappella.

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A Cappella Has Italian Roots

A cappella arrived in English in the 18th century via the Italian phrase a cappella, meaning "in chapel or choir style." (Medieval Latin capella, meaning "chapel," is the source of English chapel.) The a cappella style reached preeminence in the late 16th century in the music that composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina wrote for the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican. Because no independent instrumental parts were written down, scholars once thought that the choir sang unaccompanied, but current evidence makes clear that an organ or other instruments doubled some or several of the vocal parts. Regardless, today a cappella describes a purely vocal performance.

Examples of a cappella in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The songs, some of which made it onto an album released during the pandemic, contain real highs, like an a cappella number that introduces the second act, though there are also darlings that express a feeling well but don’t service the drama in situ. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2024 After singing a cappella at a school workshop, VIBE reported in 2015, Stella decided to pursue a career in music. Makena Gera, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2024 But Garcia, Weir, and Welnick electrified the crowd — Deadheads and squares alike — with their a cappella performance. Alex Scordelis, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2024 Although the Music Center doesn’t thus far seem to be giving this anniversary much attention, the Master Chorale had a special program Sunday of 22 short, mostly a cappella pieces that ranged from the 16th century to the present. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for a cappella 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian a cappella "in chapel or choir style"

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of a cappella was in 1785

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Cite this Entry

“A cappella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20cappella. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

a cappella

adverb or adjective
a cap·​pel·​la
variants also a capella
: without accompanying instrumental music
sing a cappella
Etymology

from Italian a cappella "in chapel style"

More from Merriam-Webster on a cappella

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