scena

noun

sce·​na ˈshā-(ˌ)nä How to pronounce scena (audio)
: an elaborate solo vocal composition that consists of a recitative usually followed by one or more aria sections

Examples of scena 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.
Such is her deep expressive sensitivity, however, that when the fury and agitation embedded in Vivaldi’s impossibly florid acrobatics gave way to tender expressions of love and regret, Genaux brought those scenas to life most affectingly. John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, 8 Apr. 2018 The orchestral palette is suffused with colorful Russian and Asian exoticism, and the entire second act amounts to a bravura scena for the work’s femme fatale, the Queen of Shemakha. John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, 8 Aug. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, scene, from Latin

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scena was in 1788

Dictionary Entries Near scena

Cite this Entry

“Scena.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scena. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on scena

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!