Meanings
opera1
nounopera (countable and uncountable, plural operas or opere)
- countableuncountableentertainmentA theatrical work, combining drama, music, song and sometimes dance; usually, one sung-through, based on classical music and seen as more artistic and formalized than other forms of musical theater.
- countableuncountableentertainmentThe score for such a work.
- countableuncountableA building designed for the performance of such works; an opera house.
“I don't mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera, the gorged dowagers,[…], the jewelled animals whose moral code is the code of the barnyard—!"
1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VI, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC - countableuncountableA company dedicated to performing such works.
- broadlycountableuncountableAny showy, melodramatic or unrealistic production resembling an opera.
opera2
noun
- pluralplural of opus; a collection of work.
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
opera · noun
Borrowed from Italian opera. Doublet of oeuvre, opus, and ure.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans opera
- operatheatrical work
Arabic أُوبِرَا, أُوبِرَا
- أُوبِرَا (ʔōbirā)theatrical work
- أُوبِرَا (ʔōpirā)theatrical work
- أُوپِرَا (ʔōpirā)theatrical work
Bengali অপেরা, গীতিনাট্য
- অপেরা (opera)theatrical work
- গীতিনাট্য (gitinaṭṭo)theatrical work
Bulgarian о́пера
- о́пера (ópera)theatrical work
Catalan òpera
- òperatheatrical work
Chinese 歌劇 /歌剧, 戲曲 /戏曲
- 歌劇 /歌剧 (koa-kio̍k)theatrical work
- 戲曲 /戏曲 (hì-khiok)theatrical work
Chinese Cantonese 歌劇 /歌剧, 戲曲 /戏曲
- 歌劇 /歌剧 (go¹ kek⁶)theatrical work
- 戲曲 /戏曲 (hei³ kuk¹)theatrical work
Chinese Mandarin 歌劇 /歌剧, 戲曲 /戏曲
- 歌劇 /歌剧 (gējù)theatrical work
- 戲曲 /戏曲 (xìqǔ)theatrical work
- 歌劇院 /歌剧院 (gējùyuàn)building — see also opera house
Czech opera
- operatheatrical work
Danish opera
- operatheatrical work
Dutch opera
- operatheatrical work
Esperanto opero, opero
- operotheatrical work
- operoscore
- operejobuilding — see also opera house
- opera domobuilding — see also opera house
Estonian ooper
- oopertheatrical work
Finnish ooppera, ooppera
- oopperatheatrical work
- oopperascore
- oopperatalobuilding — see also opera house
French opéra, opéra
- opératheatrical work
- opéragenre
German Oper, Oper
- Opertheatrical work
- Operscore
- Opergenre
- Operbuilding — see also opera house
- Opernhausbuilding — see also opera house
- Opercompany
Greek όπερα, όπερα
- όπερα (ópera)theatrical work
- όπερα (ópera)score
- όπερα (ópera)building — see also opera house
- όπερα (ópera)company
Hebrew אוֹפֵּרָה
- אוֹפֵּרָה (opera)theatrical work
Hindi ओपेरा, गीतिनाटक
- ओपेरा (operā)theatrical work
- गीतिनाटक (gītināṭak)theatrical work
- संगीत नाटक (saṅgīt nāṭak)theatrical work
- संगीत नाटिका (saṅgīt nāṭikā)theatrical work
Hungarian opera, operapartitúra
- operatheatrical work
- operapartitúrascore
- operakottascore
- operaházbuilding — see also opera house
- operabuilding — see also opera house
- operaházcompany
Icelandic ópera
- óperatheatrical work
Indonesian opera
- operatheatrical work
Iranian Persian اُپِرا
- اُپِرا (operâ)theatrical work
Irish ceoldráma, ceoldrámaíocht
- ceoldrámatheatrical work
- ceoldrámaíochtgenre
- teach ceoldrámabuilding — see also opera house
- áras ceoldrámaíochtabuilding — see also opera house
Italian opera lirica, opera
- opera liricatheatrical work
- operatheatrical work
- operagenre
- teatro d'operabuilding — see also opera house
Japanese 歌劇, オペラ
- 歌劇 (kageki)theatrical work
- オペラ (opera)theatrical work
- 歌劇団 (kagekidan)company
Korean 오페라, 가극
- 오페라 (opera)theatrical work
- 가극 (gageuk)theatrical work
- 가극단 (gageukdan)company
Latvian opera, opera
- operatheatrical work
- operabuilding — see also opera house
- operteātrisbuilding — see also opera house
Lithuanian opera
- operatheatrical work
Malay opera
- operatheatrical work
Māori puoro whakaari
- puoro whakaaritheatrical work
Norwegian Bokmål opera
- operatheatrical work
Polish opera, opera
- operatheatrical work
- operascore
- operabuilding — see also opera house
Portuguese ópera, ópera
- óperatheatrical work
- óperascore
- óperabuilding — see also opera house
- óperacompany
Romanian operă
- operătheatrical work
Russian о́пера, о́пера
- о́пера (ópera)theatrical work
- о́пера (ópera)score
- о́пера (ópera)building — see also opera house
- о́пера (ópera)company
Slovak opera
- operatheatrical work
Spanish ópera
- óperatheatrical work
Swedish opera, opera
- operatheatrical work
- operagenre
- operabuilding — see also opera house
- operahusbuilding — see also opera house
Tagalog opera
- operatheatrical work
Tamil ஆப்பெரா
- ஆப்பெரா (āpperā)theatrical work
Thai อุปรากร, โอเปร่า
- อุปรากร (ù-bpà-raa-gɔɔn)theatrical work
- โอเปร่า (oo-bpee-râa)theatrical work
- ละครร้อง (lá-kɔɔn-rɔ́ɔng)theatrical work
Turkish opera
- operatheatrical work
Ukrainian о́пера
- о́пера (ópera)theatrical work
Urdu اوپیرا
- اوپیرا (operā)theatrical work
Vietnamese ca kịch, nhạc kịch
- ca kịchtheatrical work
- nhạc kịchtheatrical work
- nhà hátbuilding — see also opera house
Welsh opera
- operatheatrical work
Yiddish אָפּערע
- אָפּערע (opere)theatrical work
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
opera. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opera
MLA
“opera.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opera. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “opera,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opera.
Source: opera on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.