castrato

noun

cas·​tra·​to ka-ˈsträ-(ˌ)tō How to pronounce castrato (audio)
kə-
plural castrati ka-ˈsträ-tē How to pronounce castrato (audio)
kə-
: a singer castrated before puberty to preserve the soprano or contralto range of his voice

Examples of castrato in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Guido is a castrati, a male singer who underwent castration before puberty to preserve his soprano singing voice. — Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 12 Nov. 2025 Handel wanted the villain Polinesso to be a second castrato, but none was available, so a contralto created the part. — Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2022 Unlike traditional castrati, Costanzo did not come to his high vocal register after having had his testicles crushed between stones. — Henry Alford, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025 Handel composed this in 1750 for the virtuoso castrato Gaetano Guadagni. — Dallas News, 15 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for castrato

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, noun derivative from past participle of castrare "to remove the testes of a male," going back to Latin castrāre — more at castrate entry 1

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of castrato was in 1763

Rhymes for castrato

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Browse Nearby Words

castrative
castrato
castrensian
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Castrato.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/castrato. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on castrato

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about castrato

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