a cappella

[ ah kuh-pel-uh; Italian ah kahp-pel-lah ]

See synonyms for a cappella on Thesaurus.com

adverb, adjectiveMusic.

Sometimes acappella . without instrumental accompaniment.
in the style of church or chapel music.

Origin of a cappella

First recorded in 1875–80; from Italian: literally, “in the manner of a chapel (choir)”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use a cappella in a sentence

Remember that a heartfelt, supremely uncomfortable a cappella rendition of 'These Eyes' in Superbad?
Michael Cera’s ‘true that’ Review: So Melancholy, So Cool, So Damn Long | Amy Zimmerman | August 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
My brothers and sisters in the back seat formed an a cappella choir chanting an enraged “Eileen!”
‘Tracing the Blue Light’: Read Chapter 1 of Eileen Cronin’s ‘Mermaid’ | Eileen Cronin | April 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
This preceded a short but powerful a cappella rendering of “I Am a God.”
Kanye, Jay Z, and Lady Gaga Love the Art World, and the Art World Loves Them | Simon de Pury | August 2, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Pentatonix: WIN a cappella wunderkinds Pentatonix won the NBC reality competition The Sing Off in 2011.
12 Gotye Cover Wins & Fails (WATCH VIDEO) | Kevin Fallon | August 14, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
She ended her speech by singing a "Amazing Grace" a cappella.
Oslo Freedom Forum: The Davos For Do-Gooding Dissidents | Eli Lake | May 11, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST

There is no other building of like dimensions which grips one as does the wonderful Cappella Palatina of Palermo.
Cathedral Cities of Italy | William Wiehe Collins
His lovely Pieta is the Cappella della Pieta, and this is the most splendid work within the building.
Old Continental Towns | Walter M. Gallichan
Finally let me mention the bronze reliefs of the life of S. Dominic in the Cappella of that saint in the right aisle.
A Wanderer in Venice | E.V. Lucas
To the right of the court is what was once the Cappella delle Carceri.
The Story of Siena and San Gimignano | Edmund G. Gardner
Maria in Cappella, which has a good brick campanile, dating from 1090.
Walks in Rome | Augustus J.C. Hare

British Dictionary definitions for a cappella

a cappella

/ (ɑː kəˈpɛlə) /

adjective, adverb

music without instrumental accompaniment

Origin of a cappella

Italian: literally, according to (the style of the) chapel

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for a cappella

a cappella

[ (ah kuh-pel-uh) ]

Choral singing performed without instruments. The expression means “in chapel style” in Italian. Centuries ago, religious music composed for use in chapels — which, unlike large churches, had no organs — was usually for voices only.

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