sonnet

noun

son·​net ˈsä-nət How to pronounce sonnet (audio)
: a fixed verse form of Italian origin consisting of 14 lines that are typically 5-foot iambics rhyming according to a prescribed scheme
also : a poem in this pattern

Examples of sonnet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 1903, her famous sonnet was cast on a bronze plaque and attached to the inner wall of the Statue of Liberty. Sari Beth Rosenberg, Parents, 5 Mar. 2024 The result is a cacophony that is one part dance anthem, one part sonnet. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 Wiman reminded his class of the punishment for tardiness—memorizing a sonnet—then turned to that week’s readings, which were about love. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023 The first official documentation of La Llorona is in a 19th century sonnet by poet Manuel Carpio. Sarah Quiñones Wolfson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2023 Each suite of poems treats its subject matter with a discerning, mature hand: from lyrical sonnets about the life of Harriet Tubman to severe, confessional prose poems about mental illness. Nina MacLaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2023 This is a sonnet that invokes its status as a sonnet only to transcend the structures of its form, a prison that unlocks itself. Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 13 July 2023 The resulting lox had a refreshing gin-and-tonic flavor — bright, herbal, citrusy — a love sonnet to a toasted bagel with cream cheese. Julia O'Malley, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Aug. 2023 The name was chosen by Oppenheimer, in tribute to a sonnet by John Donne. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 20 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sonnet.' 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

Italian sonetto, from Old Occitan sonet little song, from son sound, song, from Latin sonus sound

First Known Use

circa 1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sonnet was circa 1555

Dictionary Entries Near sonnet

Cite this Entry

“Sonnet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonnet. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sonnet

noun
son·​net ˈsän-ət How to pronounce sonnet (audio)
: a poem of 14 lines usually rhyming by a fixed scheme

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