motets

noun

plural of motet
as in madrigals

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for motets
  1. arias
  2. ballads
  3. choruses
  4. standards
  5. psalms
  6. hymns
  7. chorales
  8. canticles
Noun
  • The opera contains five arias, and Baby Doe sings three big duets all set to a uniquely American melodies.
    — Libby Smith, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • The machine’s repertoire included answers to 12 riddles, passages from books, and laughing, crying and kissing sounds, as well as arias sung in both male and female voices—all feats that Edison’s phonograph would one day be able to accomplish by recording and playing back the human voice.
    — Ron Cowen, Scientific American, 3 June 2026
Definition of arias
Noun
  • Up until that point, a lot of people thought that my greatest strength was to sing heartbreak ballads.
    — Jeffrey Masters, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • There were hair-metal bands that only had power ballads — Firehouse or some band with 17th century French aristocrat hair.
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of ballads
Noun
  • Full of big moments, rousing choruses, barstool sing-alongs, and even a few weepers, Stages is an album calibrated to the live experience.
    — Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 3 Aug. 2026
  • There are no memorable choruses, hooky instrumentals passages, or spellbinding solos, all which have been a part of the band’s sonic identity, including on Life Is But a Dream… to an extent.
    — Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of choruses
Noun
  • Rooms are spacious by Tokyo standards and reliably comfortable, with the service consistency that makes Marriott a default for travelers who don't want any (unpleasant) surprises.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Crib standards also change, as drop-sided cribs were banned from manufacture in 2011, with the most recent crib regulation update being August 1, 2026.
    — Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of standards
Noun
  • Because the psalms were originally accompanied by instruments, scholars’ best guess is that selah was some sort of musical marking.
    — Drew Goins, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
  • Take The Music Lesson, a study of a young woman playing the virginal, closely watched by a gentleman, which Graham-Dixon reads as a depiction of Collegiants chastely performing and singing psalms.
    — Clare Bucknell, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of psalms
Noun
  • Faithful gather to sing hymns and sip Bloody Marys, and a revolving cast of chaplains, including one who once served at the University of Texas chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, lead services.
    — Pam LeBlanc, Southern Living, 20 July 2026
  • One of six children, Tyler grew up idolizing Tina Turner and Janis Joplin and singing hymns in the Anglican church her parents attended.
    — Adela Suliman, NBC news, 9 July 2026
Definition of hymns
Noun
  • The score by Joseph Bishara is shivery with chorales that moan like wraiths in the wind.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Synchronized blinking faded when the researchers sped up the Bach chorales to 120 beats per minute.
    — Jesse Greenspan, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of chorales
Noun
  • Gustave Doré, the celebrated French illustrator, did elaborate engravings for the three canticles in the mid-19th century and devoted 99 out of 135 of them to Dante Alighieri’s darkest scenes.
    — Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
Definition of canticles
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

motet
motets
mothball
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Motets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motets. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tilde

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All