rehearsal

noun

re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl How to pronounce rehearsal (audio)
1
: something recounted or told again : recital
2
a
: a private performance or practice session preparatory to a public appearance
b
: a practice exercise : trial

Examples of rehearsal in a Sentence

She was 15 minutes late to rehearsal. There are only three more rehearsals before the concert.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the midst of the week’s rehearsals, Chalamet received his second Oscar nomination for his part as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2025 Carmen insisted on three months of full-time rehearsals. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 25 Jan. 2025 The three agree to compose and play songs together, using an old church on a remote island as a rehearsal space. Maya Phillips, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025 But one of the convicts used the slack security measures during rehearsals to plan a bank robbery, which ended up in the murder of two police officers, known as the infamous Malexander shootings of 1999. Annika Pham, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for rehearsal 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rehearsal was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rehearsal

Cite this Entry

“Rehearsal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rehearsal. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

rehearsal

noun
re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl How to pronounce rehearsal (audio)
1
: a private performance or practice session in preparation for a public appearance
2
: a practice exercise : trial

Medical Definition

rehearsal

noun
re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl How to pronounce rehearsal (audio)
1
: a method for improving memory by mentally or verbally repeating over and over the information to be remembered
2
: the repeated mental review of a desired action or behavioral response
preoperative rehearsal of coping imagery to reduce anxiety

More from Merriam-Webster on rehearsal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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