Word of the Day: a cappella

The term a cappella has appeared in 56 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on March 30 in “The Indie-Rock Trio boygenius Returns, Confident and Connected” by Jon Pareles:

The new album is (to borrow the title of a Paul Simon compilation) a collection of negotiations and love songs. Its 12 tracks cherish relationships but constantly interrogate them: romances, friendships, family ties and musical bonds. Baker, Bridgers and Dacus take turns singing lead vocals and join in harmonies, savoring and then subsuming their differences.

“The Record” begins the way the “boygenius” EP ended: a cappella, just three voices sharing major chords like a family singing a hymn. The song, “Without You Without Them,” is a request coupled with a promise, and it could describe their musical alliance as well as a prospective liaison: “Give me everything you’ve got/I’ll take what I can get.”

Daily Word Challenge

Can you correctly use the word a cappella in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how a cappella can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.