Definition of REPRISING (original) (raw)
1
[French, from Middle French]
a
: a musical repetition:
(1)
: the repetition of the exposition preceding the development
2
: a recurrence, renewal, or resumption of an action
3
: a deduction or charge made yearly out of a manor or estate —usually used in plural
Did you know?
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
Noun
They ended their performance with a reprise of the opening number. The team is hoping to avoid a reprise of last year's defeat. Verb
He will reprise his role in the play. the prosecutor's closing statement effectively reprised the case against the defendant
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Mao launched a reprise of Stalin's crash industrialization program, expropriating vast quantities of grain from peasants based on fanciful production figures and executing hoarders as class enemies. —
Nick Frisch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2017 There are certainly issues upon which your mileage may vary: the film is at times sluggish, the jukebox tunes are largely mid-20th century tracks with multiple reprises, and Phillips demonstrates a lack of commitment to cinematic musicals (and an unexpected commitment to ’70s variety shows). —Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Oct. 2024
After starring in 28 Days Later (2002) and sitting out the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later, Cillian Murphy reprises his role in 28 Years Later as Jim, a former bicycle courier who previously woke from a coma to find the ‘Rage Virus’ has decimated London. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2024 Bettany is reprising his role as the android who fell in love with the Scarlett Witch (played by Elizabeth Olsen) and then was destroyed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. —Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for reprise 
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French, seizure, repossession, expense, from feminine past participle of reprendre to take back, from re- + prendre to take, from Latin prehendere
Verb
Middle English, from Middle French repris, past participle of reprendre
First Known Use
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of reprise was in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near reprise
Cite this Entry
“Reprise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reprise. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.
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Last Updated: 29 Oct 2024 - Updated example sentences
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