alla breve

noun

A time signature for which the half note is the beat and there are two beats per measure.

Similar
cut timecut common time
OriginItalian alla breve →
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Meanings

noun
  1. entertainmentA time signature for which the half note is the beat and there are two beats per measure.

    Synonyms: cut time, cut common time

adverballa breve (not comparable)
  1. not comparableentertainmentAccording to the time signature for which the half note is the beat and there are two beats per measure.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA time signature for which the half note is the beat and there are two beats per measure.

Similar
cut timecut common time
Also see
cut time

Origin

  1. Italianalla breve“at the breve”
  2. Englishalla breve

Borrowed from Italian alla breve (“at the breve”).

More words from Italian

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

alla breve. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alla%20breve

MLA

“alla breve.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alla%20breve. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alla breve,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alla%20breve.

Source: alla breve on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.