coda

noun

co·​da ˈkō-də How to pronounce coda (audio)
1
a
: a concluding musical section that is formally distinct from the main structure
b
: a concluding part of a literary or dramatic work
2
: something that serves to round out, conclude, or summarize and usually has its own interest

Examples of coda in a Sentence

The movie's coda shows the main character as an adult 25 years later.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The producers of the show received a troubling phone call from Antwon in 2023 — and an audio recording of that call served as the cliff-hanging coda of the last episode of the docuseries' previous season. Nicole Acosta, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025 Advertisement The closures are a striking coda to the Biden administration’s stewardship of the Justice Department’s biggest agency. Michael R. Sisak and Michael Balsamo, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024 The lawsuit, filed just before 6 p.m. on Dec. 24, is a fitting coda to a year that saw Presley's iconic Memphis home nearly auctioned off as part of what federal authorities now call an attempt to defraud both Presley's family and Elvis Presley Enterprises. Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2024 Carpenter — whose canon includes such masterpieces as 1978’s Halloween and 1982’s The Thing — did add an optimistic coda to his thoughts on the state of the country and the world. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for coda 

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, tail, from Latin cauda

First Known Use

1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of coda was in 1740

Dictionary Entries Near coda

Cite this Entry

“Coda.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coda. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

coda

noun
co·​da ˈkōd-ə How to pronounce coda (audio)
: a closing section in a musical composition
Etymology

Italian, literally, "tail," from Latin coda, cauda "tail" — related to coward, cue entry 3, queue see Word History at coward, queue

More from Merriam-Webster on coda

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