Usage Entry 1472 / 1605 60-second read

Lyric vs. Libretto

The words of a song versus the text of an opera or musical.

The comparisoni

✗ Wrong

“The lyric of an opera.”

✓ Correct

“The LIBRETTO of an opera (the full text). LYRIC usually means individual song words, especially in pop / Broadway. Opera scripts are libretti.”

The ruleii

¶

LYRIC = song words. LIBRETTO = opera text.

LYRIC: the words to a song (modern usage), or a short emotional poem (literary usage). LIBRETTO: the full text of an opera, operetta, or musical — including dialogue, song words, and stage direction. Italian "libretto" = "little book."

Memory aidiii

Remember it like this

Libretto for opera.