- (n.) A more or less dramatic text or poem, founded on some Scripture nerrative or great divine event, elaborately set to music, in recitative, arias, grand choruses, etc., to be sung with an orchestral accompaniment, but without action, scenery or costume, although the oratorio grew out of the Mysteries and the Miracle and Passion plays, which were acted.
- (n.) Performance or rendering of such a composition.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). oratorio. Retrieved September 25, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/oratorio/definitions/2039235 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "oratorio" http://smartdefine.org/oratorio/definitions/2039235 (accessed September 25, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, oratorio, Smart Define, viewed 25 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/oratorio/definitions/2039235>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "oratorio" 27 May 2011. Web. 25 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/oratorio/definitions/2039235> |