Meaning & use
pianoforte
Last updated
the formal name for the piano, especially as used in reference to older or classical instruments.
See it in a sentence
The concert hall's program credited the sonata as written for pianoforte and violin.
Early pianofortes had a lighter touch and softer tone than modern grand pianos.
A note on using this word
The name literally means 'soft-loud' in Italian, referring to the instrument's ability to vary volume, unlike its predecessor the harpsichord.
Words with a similar meaning
piano
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