castrato: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Historical, Musicological
Quick answer
What does “castrato” mean?
A male singer who was castrated before puberty to preserve his high singing voice, especially in 17th–18th century Italian opera.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A male singer who was castrated before puberty to preserve his high singing voice, especially in 17th–18th century Italian opera.
In modern usage, can refer to the vocal style or repertoire associated with such singers, or metaphorically to something artificially preserved or unnaturally maintained.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Both varieties use the Italian plural 'castrati'.
Connotations
Identical historical and ethical connotations.
Frequency
Equally rare in both varieties, confined to historical/musicological contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “castrato” in a Sentence
The castrato [verb e.g., sang, performed, was celebrated]A [adjective e.g., famous, renowned, last] castratoVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “castrato” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The castrato voice had a unique, powerful timbre.
- She specialised in castrato repertoire.
American English
- The castrato voice possessed a unique, powerful timbre.
- She specialized in castrato repertoire.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in historical, musicological, gender studies, and cultural history texts discussing Baroque/Classical opera.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Used precisely in music history to denote the specific type of performer, not just a high male voice.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “castrato”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “castrato”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “castrato”
- Using 'castrato' to refer to a countertenor or falsettist.
- Pronouncing it as /ˈkæstrətoʊ/ (stress on first syllable).
- Using the anglicised plural 'castratos' instead of the Italian 'castrati'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A castrato was surgically altered before puberty. A countertenor is a natural adult male who sings in a falsetto or head voice.
The practice declined in the late 18th century and was officially banned in Italy (the Papal States) in 1870. The last known Vatican castrato, Alessandro Moreschi, died in 1922.
Women were banned from singing in church choirs and often on the public stage in parts of Italy. Castrati provided the high, powerful, and agile voices desired for complex sacred and operatic music.
Only via extremely rare, poor-quality wax cylinder recordings from the early 1900s of the last castrato, Alessandro Moreschi. They give only a faint impression of the sound.
A male singer who was castrated before puberty to preserve his high singing voice, especially in 17th–18th century Italian opera.
Castrato is usually formal, historical, musicological in register.
Castrato: in British English it is pronounced /kæˈstrɑːtəʊ/, and in American English it is pronounced /kæˈstrɑːtoʊ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'CASTRAted' + 'soPrATO' – a castrato was a castrated male who could sing soprano.
Conceptual Metaphor
ARTIFICE/PRESERVATION: A castrato metaphorically represents something whose natural development was halted to preserve a specific quality (e.g., 'The policy created a castrato economy, frozen in an unnatural state').
Practice
Quiz
Which term correctly describes a modern male singer who uses his natural vocal cords to sing in a soprano range?