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

Additional performances include Mascagni and his Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo, Puccini’s arias and duets from Turandot and La Bohème in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the composer's passing,Mozart’s Don Giovanni. —Nadja Sayej, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024

Depending on where the signal ends up, a person comprehends the sound as meaningful information and can distinguish an aria from a spoken sentence. —Andrew Chang, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 2024

The lush, tropical setting provided by a Southeast Asian island may not be the most obvious place to hear the rising scales of an aria, but according to Dato Mark Yeoh, the executive director of YTL Hotels, Opera in Paradise transforms the resort, adding an uplifting aura to the weekend. —Chadner Navarro, Robb Report, 6 Sep. 2024

Librettists supplied composers with heaps of verse for arias and other vocal numbers, alongside chunks of prose recitative that allowed for interstitial exposition. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 July 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