divertissement

divertissement — noun

1. an activity, performance, or small added feature meant mainly to give people lig

1.nounC2
Definition

an activity, performance, or small added feature meant mainly to give people light pleasure for a while

Example

The host arranged a short magic show as a divertissement between dinner and dessert.

as a divertissement between two main events

For the mayor's birthday, the park offered songs and lanterns as an evening divertissement.

an evening divertissement for guests

Common collocations
  • an evening divertissement
  • arrange a divertissement
  • serve as a divertissement
Synonyms
  • entertainment

    the broad everyday word; divertissement sounds more formal and often suggests a lighter extra feature

  • diversion

    can be any pleasant distraction; divertissement more often suggests a planned amusement or display

  • interlude

    stresses a break between larger parts; divertissement stresses the pleasure provided during that break

Grammar Patterns

use [something] as a divertissement

a divertissement for guests

Usage Note

Mostly found in literary, historical, or arts writing for an added amusement set beside a main event. Unlike senses 2 and 3, this use is not restricted to dance or music.

Common Mistakes

The engineer built a divertissement to take floodwater away from the town.
The engineer built a diversion to take floodwater away from the town.
divertissement is something entertaining, not a route for redirecting water or traffic.

2. a brief set of dances placed inside a larger stage work so the audience can enjo

2.nounC2
Definition

a brief set of dances placed inside a larger stage work so the audience can enjoy movement and display without pushing the plot ahead

Example

Between the two acts, the company performed a comic divertissement with six young dancers.

perform a divertissement between acts

The choreographer placed a winter divertissement after the wedding march to lift the mood.

Common collocations
  • a comic divertissement
  • stage a divertissement
  • a divertissement between acts
Synonyms
  • interlude

    broader and not necessarily dance-based; a divertissement specifically features dancing

  • ballet

    much broader; can mean a full dance work, while a divertissement is often one inserted section

Grammar Patterns

perform a divertissement between acts

a divertissement in [an opera or ballet]

Usage Note

Used in ballet and opera discussion for a decorative dance section that gives visual pleasure more than story development. Unlike sense 3, it belongs on the stage as part of a larger dramatic work.

Common Mistakes

The tragic death scene was the divertissement of the opera.
The comic dance between acts was the divertissement of the opera.
this sense names a decorative dance section, not the story's dramatic centre.

3. a short concert piece, usually written for instruments, whose effect is graceful

3.nounC2
Definition

a short concert piece, usually written for instruments, whose effect is graceful and enjoyable rather than large or deeply serious

Example

The radio station closed with a French divertissement for flute and harp.

a divertissement for + instruments

Joon wrote a brisk divertissement for school orchestra to open the spring concert.

write a divertissement for an orchestra

Common collocations
  • a French divertissement
  • a divertissement for flute and harp
  • compose a divertissement
Synonyms
  • divertimento

    very close in musical meaning; divertimento is the more usual Italian label in classical catalogues

  • serenade

    also often light and graceful, but historically linked more strongly to evening or outdoor performance

  • suite

    broader term for a grouped set of pieces, not necessarily light in mood

Antonyms
  • symphony

    larger and typically more serious in scale and ambition

Grammar Patterns

a divertissement for [instrument or ensemble]

write a divertissement

Usage Note

Usually appears as a title or genre label for a short instrumental work. Unlike sense 2, this use names a concert piece in its own right rather than a dance episode inside a stage story.

Common Mistakes

The choir sang a divertissement without any instruments.
The orchestra played a divertissement for strings and winds.
this musical sense usually refers to a short instrumental piece.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For sense 1, divertissement is the most formal and the most decorative of these words. Entertainment is the broad everyday choice for anything that amuses people, from a film to a concert. Diversion stresses a pleasant distraction from something dull, tense, or serious. Interlude points to a brief pause between bigger parts of an event, while pastime usually means a regular hobby or leisure activity. Divertissement, by contrast, often suggests a specially arranged extra pleasure added to brighten an occasion. A puppet show after a banquet can be called a divertissement; a weekly game of tennis is a pastime; and a short comic break during a ceremony is an interlude that may also function as a divertissement.

divertissement ↗entertainment ↗diversion ↗interlude ↗pastime ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a short divertissement
  • a formal divertissement

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

English took divertissement from French, where it meant amusement or entertainment. The French noun comes from divertir, 'to amuse' or literally 'to turn aside', and that verb goes back to Latin divertere, 'to turn away'. That history still shows in the English word: a divertissement is something that turns attention away from the main business for a moment of pleasure. In music and dance, the same idea developed into labels for lighter inserted or standalone pieces meant to charm rather than weigh heavily on the listener.

First known use

1728

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1