Word
reprise
/ɹɪˈpɹaɪz/
Definition
v. to perform or repeat something again, often in a different way. In music, it means playing a theme or melody that was heard earlier in a piece.
v. to perform or repeat a musical theme or a previous event. In a legal context, it refers to the act of re-opening a case or re-examining evidence.
Examples
“The band played a reprise of their most popular song.”
“The lawyer requested a reprise of the witness's testimony to clarify the timeline of events.”
“The composer uses a reprise of the opening motif to signal the return of the protagonist, creating a sense of cyclical structure that reinforces the narrative's themes of inevitability.”
Examples
simple
“The band played a reprise of their most popular song.”
contextual
“The lawyer requested a reprise of the witness's testimony to clarify the timeline of events.”
complex
“The composer uses a reprise of the opening motif to signal the return of the protagonist, creating a sense of cyclical structure that reinforces the narrative's themes of inevitability.”
Real-World Examples
Common in culture writing
“The prime minister appears committed to rebalancing the curriculum by expanding the number of technical education options available to students, in a reprise of his approach as the mayor of Greater Manchester.” “In October, movie star Rose Byrne will not be reprising her recent Broadway role in the revival of Fallen Angels for a film version; instead, the performance itself will be released directly to theaters.” Etymology
From Middle English reprise (noun) and reprisen (verb), from Old French reprise, from reprendre. In some senses borrowed anew from Modern French reprise.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/reprise