Meanings
plural overtures
- obsoleteDisclosure; discovery; revelation.
It was he That made the overture of thy treasons to us.
c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vii] - oftenpluralAn approach or proposal made to initiate communication, establish a relationship etc.First known use 15th c.
overture of friendship
3 more examples
Shortly afterwards the North Eastern Railway made overtures for the purchase of the Blyth & Tyne system, and the directors of the latter were then disposed to sell, but, in view of their excellent dividend record, stood out for a good price.
1943 May and June, Charles E. Lee, “The Blyth & Tyne Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 138Sarkozy gave a defiant speech, going on the offensive and betraying no hint of having been beaten. He styled the result as a "crisis" vote, by a French population which was "suffering". In a clear overture to Le Pen's voters, and the extreme-right motto of loving France, he said: "I call on all French people who put love of their country above partisan considerations, to unite and join me."
2012 April 23, Angelique Chrisafis, “François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election”, in the GuardianMy mother had no choice; one did not turn down such an overture from the regent.
1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, London: Abacus, published 2010, page 20 - ScotlandA motion placed before a legislative body, such as the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.First known use 16th c.
- entertainmentA musical introduction to a longer piece of music or a dramatic work (such as a play, an opera, or a motion picture).First known use 17th c.
The overture was almost at a close; and silence being now more effective than any thing that he could urge in favour of the play, Courtenaye went behind the scenes:...
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “A First Night”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 66 - entertainmentA medley of themes from a larger work, such as an opera or musical, typically played at the beginning but sometimes played at any part of the work or performed as a standalone piece.
The paradoxical use of an overture at the end of a concert occasionally gave rise to satire in the musical press.
2017 April 27, Steven Vande Moortele, The Romantic Overture and Musical Form from Rossini to Wagner, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 24
present singular third person overtures · participle present overturing · participle past overtured · past overtured
- intransitiveTo make overtures; to approach with a proposal.
For a partner setting a table in a game of “house,” an overturing child might assume the role of the father returning home from work at dinnertime rather than overturing by throwing a ball toward the child and yelling “catch.”
2012, K.H. Rubin, H.S. Ross, Peer Relationships and Social Skills in Childhood, page 44
- nonstandardnot comparablegovernmentOvert, that is, disclosed.
Crest : A falcon, wings overture.
1887, Edmund Farrer, The Church Heraldry of Norfolk, page 742 more examples
It may be with wings close, i.e. closed, or it may be with its wings elevated, or it may be with wings disclosed, i.e. somewhat open, but inverted, and pointing downwards (and this is practically the same as the expression overt, written sometimes overture). [...] Argent, an eagle recursant wings overture sable - BACK. Argent, an eagle rising, wings overt inverted gules, standing on a baston raguly in bend vert - William PORTER.
1894, Henry Gough, James Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, page 215[...] charged with a cross patty gules, and perched thereon a bird contourne reguardant, its wings overture, of the second; […]
1992, Donald R. Mandich, Joseph Anthony Placek, Russian Heraldry and Nobility, Dramco
Synonyms & antonyms
antonym(s) of “opening of a piece of music”
nounsomething that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows
nouna tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinapertūra
- Old Frenchoverture
- Middle Frenchoverture
- Middle Englishoverture
- Englishoverture
From Middle English overture, from Anglo-Norman, Middle French overture, from Old French overture, from Latin apertūra. Doublet of aperture.
More words from Middle English, Middle French, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic اِفْتِتَاحِيَّة
- اِفْتِتَاحِيَّة (iftitāḥiyya)musical introduction
Bulgarian предложение, увертюра
- предложение (predloženie)approach
- увертюра (uvertjura)musical introduction
Catalan obertura
- oberturamusical introduction
Chinese Mandarin 序曲
- 序曲 (xùqǔ)musical introduction
Czech předehra
- předehramusical introduction
Danish ouverture
- ouverturemusical introduction
Dutch voorstel
- voorstelapproach
Estonian uvertüür, avamäng
- uvertüürmusical introduction
- avamängmusical introduction
Finnish avaus, tunnustelu
- avausapproach
- tunnusteluapproach
- alkusoittomusical introduction
French ouverture
- ouverturemusical introduction
German Angebot, Annäherungsversuch
- Angebotapproach
- Annäherungsversuchapproach
- Offerteapproach
- Ouvertüremusical introduction
Greek πρόταση, διάβημα
- πρόταση (prótasi)approach
- διάβημα (diávima)approach
- προσέγγιση (proséngisi)approach
- εισαγωγή (eisagogí)musical introduction
- προοίμιο (prooímio)musical introduction
- ουβερτούρα (ouvertoúra)musical introduction
Hungarian nyitány
- nyitánymusical introduction
Italian ouverture, preludio
- ouverturemusical introduction
- preludiomusical introduction
- introduzionemusical introduction
Japanese 序曲
- 序曲 (jokyoku)musical introduction
Norwegian Bokmål ouverture, ouverture
- ouvertureapproach
- ouverturemusical introduction
Persian پیشنوا, اوورتور
- پیشنوا (piš-navâ)musical introduction
- اوورتور (uvertur)musical introduction
Polish uwertura
- uwerturamusical introduction
Portuguese abertura
- aberturamusical introduction
Romanian uvertură
- uverturămusical introduction
Russian предложе́ние, инициати́ва
- предложе́ние (predložénije)approach
- инициати́ва (iniciatíva)approach
- увертю́ра (uvertjúra)musical introduction
Spanish obertura
- oberturamusical introduction
Swedish ouvertyr, uvertyr
- ouvertyrapproach
- uvertyrapproach
- ouvertyrmusical introduction
- uvertyrmusical introduction
Tagalog obertura, pasakalye
- oberturamusical introduction
- pasakalyemusical introduction
Turkish uvertür
- uvertürmusical introduction
Ukrainian увертю́ра
- увертю́ра (uvertjúra)musical introduction
Yiddish אוּווערטור
- אוּווערטור (uvertur)musical introduction
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
overture. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overture
“overture.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overture. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overture,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overture.
Source: overture on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.