aria

noun

ˈär-ē-ə 

plural arias also arie ˈär-ē-ˌā 

1

: air, melody, tune

specifically : an accompanied, elaborate melody sung (as in an opera) by a single voice

enjoyed the soprano's romantic aria

2

: a striking solo performance (as in a movie)

… Russell Crowe's performance in Gladiator was all about the physical stuff—it was a brute-force aria of fighting and flexing and unleashing hell …

—Jeff Gordinier

3

: a written or spoken passage or text likened to a dramatic or emotional operatic solo

… a plainspoken but moving aria on the joys of rural living …

—Lauren Collins

Examples of aria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

According to the station’s records, the aria was performed on WEVD in 1963, 1964 and 1965. —Jon Kalish, Sun Sentinel, 13 Nov. 2024

Popular pop and country songs blaring over the sound system were punctuated by an Italian opera aria, and finally the warm-up speakers, all local politicians, made their dutiful speeches. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

That’s the equivalent of the white nightgown in which so many female opera protagonists sing their dying arias just before the final curtain. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024

Still, Butterworth and Mendes display a wonderful theatrical intelligence throughout, particularly in the little showstoppers—musical performances, or arias of insult—that punctuate the night. —Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, atmospheric air, modification of Latin aer

First Known Use

1723, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

aria

noun

ˈär-ē-ə 

: a song in an opera sung by a single voice

Geographical Definition

Aria

geographical name

ˈer-ē-ə 

ˈa-rē-ə,

ə-ˈrī-ə

1

an eastern province of the ancient Persian Empire; district now in northwestern Afghanistan and eastern Iran

2

see herat