rehearsed; rehearsing
1
a
: to say again : repeat
b
: to recite aloud in a formal manner
2
: to present an account of : relate
rehearse a familiar story
3
: to recount in order : enumerate
rehearsed their demands
4
a
: to give a rehearsal of
b
: to train or make proficient by rehearsal
5
: to perform or practice as if in a rehearsal
: to engage in a rehearsal
rehearser
noun
Examples of rehearse in a Sentence
The orchestra is rehearsing a piece by Schumann.
The band stayed up late rehearsing for the big show.
We were allowed to watch the director rehearse the dancers.
lawyers rehearsing their closing arguments
He rehearsed his dance moves in front of the mirror.
Recent Examples on the Web
Throughout the video, Tutin praised the band’s work ethic, revealing that ROSÉ, LISA, JISOO and JENNIE had only three to five days to rehearse for Coachella.
—
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2025
And that also that process is never rehearsed -- very rarely rehearsed.
—ABC News, 26 Oct. 2025
That sense of anxiety is present throughout the book, most vividly in a wide shot of a group of cheerleaders rehearsing in a gym.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
On set, Paul doesn’t rehearse a lot with the actors.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rehearse
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Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2025
And that also that process is never rehearsed -- very rarely rehearsed.
—ABC News, 26 Oct. 2025
That sense of anxiety is present throughout the book, most vividly in a wide shot of a group of cheerleaders rehearsing in a gym.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
On set, Paul doesn’t rehearse a lot with the actors.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rehearse
Cite this Entry
“Rehearse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rehearse. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rehearse
verb
re·hearse
ri-ˈhərs 
rehearsed; rehearsing
1
2
a
: to practice (a play or scene) for public performance
b
: to train or instruct (as actors) by rehearsal
3
: to engage in a rehearsal
rehearser
noun
Etymology
Middle English rehersen "to say again, repeat," from early French rehercier "to go over again and again," literally, "to harrow again," from re- "again" and hercier "to harrow," from herce "a harrow"
Word Origin
In the Middle Ages, French farmers used a tool they called a herce. This was a triangular wooden frame with sturdy pegs or teeth on one side. It was pulled over plowed farmland to break up the soil in order to make it smooth for planting. The early French verb used to describe this action was hercier, which meant "to harrow." In most cases the process had to be repeated over and over, so the word rehercier was formed, meaning "to harrow again" or "reharrow." In time, rehercier came to be used with more general meanings like "to go over something again (and again)," as in repeating a school lesson or a story. The word came into Middle English as rehersen, meaning "to say again, repeat." Through the years the English word, now spelled rehearse, has picked up new meanings. Perhaps the most familiar one now is "to go through (a scene or play) over and over for practice until it is ready for performance."
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