What does rehearsal mean?
Rehearsal means a structured session in which performers practice and coordinate their work before appearing before an audience. Actors rehearse lines, movements, and timing; musicians rehearse passages, balance, and entrances; speakers rehearse presentations and responses. The word can also refer more broadly to repeated preparation for any demanding activity, such as a negotiation, examination, or public event. In this extended sense, rehearsal suggests discipline and refinement: preparation reveals mistakes while there is still time to correct them. It is not merely an informal synonym for practice, because it often implies a planned session involving several participants or elements. A dress rehearsal, for instance, is commonly the final preparation before performance. Although the word is strongly associated with theatre, music, and other performance arts, its figurative use is fully established in formal writing.
nounA practice session in which actors, musicians, speakers, or other performers prepare and coordinate their work before a public appearance. By extension, it means preparation or repeated practice for a planned event or activity.
- A practice session in which performers prepare for a public appearance.
- Preparation or repeated practice for an event, activity, or difficult task.
"The cast held a final rehearsal before opening night."
"The conductor used the rehearsal to correct the tempo and refine the ending."
"Her careful rehearsal of the negotiation gave her greater confidence."
Rehearsal is a countable noun. The plural is rehearsals, as in “three rehearsals before the performance.”
"The production required many rehearsals and careful planning."
Rehearsal hides an agricultural ancestor: its roots lead to the harrow, the toothed implement once drawn across fields.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rehearsal come from?
Rehearsal developed in English from the verb rehearse, which ultimately came through Old French from a construction involving re-, meaning “again,” and hercer, “to harrow.” The latter is related to Latin hirpex, “harrow,” the source also behind English hearse and harrow. Early senses of rehearsing emphasized going over material repeatedly, before the word became firmly associated with organized practice for performance.
Related word forms
How rehearsal is actually used
The word is neutral in register and is common in professional, educational, and literary contexts. Its broader figurative sense can sound somewhat formal, and it often suggests organized, repeated preparation rather than a single brief attempt.
Easily confused with rehearsal
Rehearsal is the noun naming a practice session, while rehearse is the verb describing the act of practicing.