sonata

noun

so·​na·​ta sə-ˈnä-tə How to pronounce sonata (audio)
: an instrumental musical composition typically of three or four movements in contrasting forms and keys

Examples of sonata in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Tchaikovsky’s symphonic ambitions bridle against their keyboard constraints in his early C-sharp sonata; Trifonov tapped both fluidity and clarity out of the bloat. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 20 Nov. 2024 In the Franck sonata, Malofeev staked out rich, dense chords for Dueñas to twirl through. Justin Davidson, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024 The end result might not be like a Beethoven sonata. John Kounios, Scientific American, 30 May 2024 The sound of gut strings on McIntosh’s violin played without vibrato, for instance, had the florescence that Stravinsky so enjoyed in the Bach sonata. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for sonata 

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from sonare to sound, from Latin

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sonata was in 1786

Dictionary Entries Near sonata

Cite this Entry

“Sonata.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonata. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

sonata

noun
so·​na·​ta sə-ˈnät-ə How to pronounce sonata (audio)
: a piece of music written for instruments and usually having three or four main parts in different styles and different keys

Medical Definition

Sonata

trademark
So·​na·​ta sō-ˈnä-tə How to pronounce Sonata (audio)
used for a preparation of zaleplon

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