overture
overture Lexical Profile
overture Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An orchestral piece at the beginning of an opera, suite, play, oratorio, or other extended musical composition; also, an independent orchestral composition in one movement.
"The orchestra began the evening with the lively overture to Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro."
An approach or proposal made to someone with the aim of opening negotiations or establishing a relationship (usually used in the plural).
"The government made several diplomatic overtures to neighboring nations in hopes of securing a trade agreement."
An introduction or preliminary stage to a broader action, event, or development.
"The heated border dispute proved to be a grim overture to a much wider regional conflict."
• verb
To introduce with an overture, or to put forward as a formal proposal (especially in a Presbyterian legislative assembly).
"The regional presbytery voted to overture the General Assembly regarding amendments to the church constitution."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French overture ('an opening'), from Vulgar Latin *apertura, derived from the Latin verb aperire ('to open').