rehearsal

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A practice session for a performance, such as a play, concert, or speech.

   Grammar: Countable: a rehearsal, two rehearsals. Often used with 'for' or 'of'.

   Patterns

   • a rehearsal for something
   • a rehearsal of something
   • at rehearsal
   • during rehearsal

   The actors have a rehearsal every afternoon this week.

   We need one more rehearsal before the concert.

   She was late for the rehearsal of the school play.

2. 2noununcountable

   The act of practicing or going through something in preparation.

   Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the activity in general: time for rehearsal.

   Patterns

   • time for rehearsal
   • in rehearsal
   • rehearsal time

   The band spent hours in rehearsal.

   We don't have much rehearsal time left.

   The speech needs more rehearsal before the big day.

Word forms

Common combinations

dress rehearsal

The final dress rehearsal went smoothly.

rehearsal room

They booked a rehearsal room for the afternoon.

rehearsal dinner

The wedding rehearsal dinner is on Friday.

attend a rehearsal

All cast members must attend the rehearsal.

rehearsal schedule

Check the rehearsal schedule for changes.

Synonyms and how they differ

practice

Practice is a more general word for doing something repeatedly to improve; rehearsal is specifically for a performance.

run-through

A run-through is a single complete practice of a show, often without stopping; a rehearsal can be any practice session.

drill

A drill is a repeated exercise to learn a skill, often military or emergency; rehearsal is for performances.

Opposites

Word family

rehearse verb

To practice a performance or speech.

rehearsed adjective

Practiced or prepared, sometimes in a way that seems artificial.

Commonly confused: rehearsal or rehearse? rehearsal or practice?

Practice

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