noun
operetta
o-puh-REH-tuh
noun
1
A short, light opera with a comic or romantic story and spoken dialogue between musical numbers.
"Gilbert and Sullivan wrote several beloved operettas."
How to Use Operetta
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA lighter, funnier cousin of full-blown opera, mixing songs with spoken scenes.
Word Forms
operettas plural
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Gilbert and Sullivan wrote several beloved _____.
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian operetta, literally "little opera," from opera plus the diminutive ending "-etta."