rehearsal

noun

re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl 

1

: something recounted or told again : recital

2

a

: a private performance or practice session preparatory to a public appearance

b

: a practice exercise : trial

Synonyms of rehearsal

• practice
• trial
• preview

Examples of rehearsal in a Sentence

She was 15 minutes late to rehearsal.

There are only three more rehearsals before the concert.

Recent Examples on the Web

The shoot couldn’t run in sequence and was organized by location instead, so Patil tracked her own makeup, hair, body and voice continuity across Selvi’s decline, leaning on continuity photos and long rehearsals with the ensemble. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Apollo 7 rebooted the Apollo program after a fire killed three astronauts during a launch rehearsal 20 months earlier. — Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Then, the set piece is rehearsed with stunt doubles to work out any issues before the actors come in for their own rehearsal. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026

The record primarily collects new arrangements of music from Björk’s 2004 album Medúlla, fine-tuned in extensive rehearsals made possible amid the empty calendars of the COVID-19 era. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rehearsal

• dress rehearsal
• in rehearsal
• pre-rehearsal
• rehearsal dinner
• wedding rehearsal

Rhymes for rehearsal

• dispersal
• reversal
• transversal
• traversal
• bursal
• versal
• universal

Kids Definition

rehearsal

noun

re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl 

1

: a private performance or practice session in preparation for a public appearance

2

: a practice exercise : trial

Medical Definition

rehearsal

noun

re·​hears·​al ri-ˈhər-səl 

1

: a method for improving memory by mentally or verbally repeating over and over the information to be remembered

2

: the repeated mental review of a desired action or behavioral response

preoperative rehearsal of coping imagery to reduce anxiety