legato

1 of 2

adverb or adjective

le·​ga·​to li-ˈgä-(ˌ)tō How to pronounce legato (audio)
: in a manner that is smooth and connected (as between successive tones)
used especially as a direction in music

legato

2 of 2

noun

: a smooth and connected manner of performance (as of music)
also : a passage of music so performed

Examples of legato in a Sentence

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.
Noun
The book, the story of Seymour, an ambitious would-be filmmaker and a second-rate husband, explores different temporalities, creating a polyphony of the sweeping, legato past and the rhythmic present. Sam Thielman, The New Yorker, 21 July 2023 Elijah McCormack was a radiant soprano with a smooth legato. Dallas News, 2 Apr. 2022 Staccato is syncopation and legato is like a rainbow. Alessandro Corona, The Enquirer, 6 July 2022 The velvety legato that Lisiecki lavishes on the C-sharp-minor Nocturne is impossible on Planès’s period instrument, which has a crisper, tangier sound. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2022 See all Example Sentences for legato 

Word History

Etymology

Adverb or adjective

Italian, literally, tied

First Known Use

Adverb Or Adjective

1786, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1740, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of legato was in 1740

Dictionary Entries Near legato

Cite this Entry

“Legato.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legato. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

legato

adverb or adjective
le·​ga·​to
li-ˈgät-ō
: in a manner that is smooth and connected
used as a direction in music
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