oratorio
noun
or·a·to·rio
ˌȯr-ə-ˈtȯr-ē-ˌō 
ˌär-
plural oratorios
: a lengthy choral work usually of a religious nature consisting chiefly of recitatives, arias, and choruses without action or scenery
Examples of oratorio in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This one-of-a-kind Spanish-language oratorio will be released next year.
—
Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Few singers today dispatch the aria with the panache of Gerald Finley, who performs the oratorio next week with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, from December 16 to 21.
—Matthew Gurewitsch, Air Mail, 13 Dec. 2025
But her fourth album, Lux, adopts the sound and ambitions of a classical oratorio to mirror the modern quest for salvation, in all its thrilling and frustrating contours.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025
So you were drawn to the idea of writing an oratorio?
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oratorio
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Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Few singers today dispatch the aria with the panache of Gerald Finley, who performs the oratorio next week with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, from December 16 to 21.
—Matthew Gurewitsch, Air Mail, 13 Dec. 2025
But her fourth album, Lux, adopts the sound and ambitions of a classical oratorio to mirror the modern quest for salvation, in all its thrilling and frustrating contours.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025
So you were drawn to the idea of writing an oratorio?
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oratorio
Cite this Entry
“Oratorio.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oratorio. Accessed 2 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
oratorio
noun
or·a·to·rio
ˌȯr-ə-ˈtōr-ē-ˌō
ˌär-,
-ˈtȯr-
plural oratorios
: a vocal and orchestral work usually dramatizing a religious subject without action or scenery
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