libretto · name — A surname. It carries an Arena rating of 1650, earned across 11 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, libretto ranks #10,189 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #10,590 of 17,128 for Most Vivid Words, #14,569 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #15,349 of 17,131 for Scariest Words.
libretto is pronounced /lɪˈbɹɛt.əʊ/.
Why “libretto” is a great word
The text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera, or a book containing such a text. From Italian libretto, diminutive of libro ("book"), from Latin liber ("book"), first attested in English c. 1768. Unlike a "score" (which encodes the music's pitch, rhythm, and dynamics) or a "script" (the general text for a spoken drama), a libretto is the word-bound vessel meant to be drowned in sound. It is the inked scaffolding upon which arias are built, the whispered intrigue in a recitative, and the fragile pages a tenor clutches in rehearsal—the humble, mortal craft that gives voice to gods and monsters, a small book passed hand to hand until its spine cracks, carrying the story until music sets it ablaze.
❧ Written by Lexicurio’s AI
Etymology
From Italian libretto, diminutive of libro (“book”), from Latin liber (“book”).
noun
- The text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera.
- A book containing such a text.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- librettist 65% match — The person who writes a libretto. vs libretto →
- opera 60% match — A theatrical work, combining drama, music, song and sometimes dance. vs libretto →
- oratorio 55% match — A musical composition, often based on a religious theme; similar to opera but with no costume, scenery or acting. vs libretto →
- burletta 54% match — A comic operetta; a musical farce. vs libretto →
- recitative 53% match — dialogue, in an opera etc, that, rather than being sung as an aria, is reproduced with the rhythms of normal speech, often with simple musical accompaniment or harpsichord continuo, serving to expound the plot. vs libretto →
- playtext 53% match — The text of a play (dramatic work). vs libretto →
- songtext 53% match — The written words to a song; lyrics. vs libretto →
- partitur 52% match — A full score, conductor's score (with a separate line for every part). vs libretto →