tempo

noun

tem·​po ˈtem-(ˌ)pō How to pronounce tempo (audio)
plural tempi ˈtem-(ˌ)pē How to pronounce tempo (audio) or tempos
1
: the rate of speed of a musical piece or passage indicated by one of a series of directions (such as largo, presto, or allegro) and often by an exact metronome marking
2
: rate of motion or activity : pace

Examples of tempo in a Sentence

The song has a slow tempo. The composition has many changes of tempo. We walked at a fast tempo. The tempo of the game slowed down. The dance starts out fast and then switches tempo.
Recent Examples on the Web And, thankfully, the tempo with which Black women are nominated for and win Oscars, whatever the role, is increasing. Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Autonomous reactions at machine speed could drive a faster tempo of operations, accelerating the pace of battle. Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 29 Feb. 2024 The author is fascinated by rubato, when a piece—or in this case, a singer—briefly plays with tempo but keeps a song’s overall structure intact. Owen Myers, Pitchfork, 29 Feb. 2024 That incident, plus the intensifying tempo of hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters, is spurring soaring demand for home microgrids. Jamie Gold, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The typical Holiday–Wilson tempo is a kind of medium-pace chug—neither outright swing nor an invitation to the blues; an alloy in which are cast jazz smarts and a more accessible razzle-dazzle. Elizabeth Barber, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 His galloping accompaniment of Mr. Lewis was so unbridled at times that the tempo almost seemed to outrun the two men mid-session. Bill Friskics-Warren, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 But differences in tempo and sentiment aside, both songs feel dull, dry, unimaginative, unnecessary, unconfident and uncool. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024 Despite the typically favorable weather at Edwards, a 412th spokesman told me during a follow-up phone call that recent rain and wind-shear events have thrown a wrench in the Wing’s operational tempo given its highly conservative safety strictures. Eric Tegler, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tempo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, "time, rate of speed (in music)," going back to Latin tempor-, tempus "time, period of time, season," of uncertain origin

Note: If it originally meant "extent, measure" (hence, "extent of time"), Latin tempus could go back to an s-stem noun *temp-es- derived from an Indo-European verb base *temp- "stretch, extend," seen in Lithuanian tempiù, tem͂pti "to stretch, bend (a bow)," tìmpa "sinew, bowstring," Tocharian A & B cämp- "be able to" (if "stretch, exert effort" > "exert sufficient effort, be able"), and perhaps Old Norse þǫmb "womb, guts, bowstring." Though these are possibilities, the sum of comparable evidence for the etymon is not overwhelming.

First Known Use

circa 1724, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tempo was circa 1724

Dictionary Entries Near tempo

Cite this Entry

“Tempo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tempo. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tempo

noun
tem·​po ˈtem-pō How to pronounce tempo (audio)
plural tempi -pē How to pronounce tempo (audio) or tempos
1
: the rate of speed at which a musical piece or passage is to be played or sung
2
: rate of motion or activity

More from Merriam-Webster on tempo

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