operetta

noun

op·​er·​et·​ta ˌä-pə-ˈre-tə How to pronounce operetta (audio)
: a usually romantic comic opera that includes songs and dancing
operettist noun

Examples of operetta 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.
The American musical before 1927 had been light stuff—part operetta, part revue—a merry playground for sparklers like George M. Cohan and Cole Porter. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2025 Fun factoid: The original plot of the operetta Babes in Toyland was about two children who flee from their wicked Uncle Barnaby and journey to Toyland. Marc Berman, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 With Gracie Abrams On Tour This fantastical film strings together Mother Goose’s coterie (Little Bo Peep; Mary, Quite Contrary; Tom, the Piper’s Son) in a theatrical musical based on Victor Herbert’s operetta of the same name. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 24 Nov. 2024 During the operetta, Pavlov was interrupted in his box by a new report of unusual activity: the Germans had removed the barbed wire from their side of the border, and the sound of motors had grown louder, even at a distance. Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2017 See all Example Sentences for operetta 

Word History

Etymology

Italian, diminutive of opera

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of operetta was in 1770

Dictionary Entries Near operetta

Cite this Entry

“Operetta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/operetta. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

operetta

noun
op·​er·​et·​ta ˌäp-ə-ˈret-ə How to pronounce operetta (audio)
: a light play set to music with speaking, singing, and dancing scenes

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