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When reprise was first adopted into English in the 15th century, it referred to a deduction or charge made yearly out of a manor or estate (and was usually used in the plural form reprises). It probably won't surprise you, then, to learn that reprise comes from an Anglo-French word meaning "seizure, repossession, or expense." Eventually, reprise came to refer to any action that was repeated or resumed. A later sense, borrowed from modern French, applies to specific types of repetition in musical compositions. That sense was eventually generalized to describe any subsequent and identical performance. It's possible, for example, to have a reprise of a television program or a book.
Synonyms
Examples of reprise in a Sentence
Tonya Blazio-Licorish, WWD, 30 Dec. 2024
The song returns in the finale, when the entire cast sings a jaunty reprise.
—Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Dec. 2024
Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Donald Trump Blames Governor Gavin Newsom Over Los Angeles Fires
By Jesus Mesa
Politics Reporter
23
Within hours of Donald Trump's re-election in November, California Governor Gavin Newsom sought to reprise a familiar role as the face of the Democratic resistance.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for reprise 
Dictionary Entries Near reprise
Cite this Entry
“Reprise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reprise. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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