Definition of: opera

(op′ər·ə, op′rə) noun
1. A form of drama in which music is a dominant factor, made up of arias, recitatives, choruses, etc., with orchestral accompaniment, scenery, acting, and sometimes dance: the principal types are comic opera, in which there is spoken dialog and the story ends happily; grand opera, a dramatic composition generally with a serious or tragic theme, of which the plot is elaborated as in a play and the dialog is set to music throughout; light opera, in which the plot has humorous situations, a happy ending, and some spoken dialog.
2. A particular musical drama or its music or libretto; also, its representation.
3. The theater in which operas are given.
4. Plural of OPUS. [<Ital. <L, a work, labor <opus, operis work]
—op·er·at·ic (op′ə·rat′ik) adjective
—op′er·at′i·cal·ly adverb