Choralize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To render a musical piece or passage suitable for a choir by arranging or composing it with multiple vocal parts designed for group singing
2. To transform or adapt a melody or text into a form appropriate for choral performance by assigning harmonized lines for several voices
3. To create or convert a song or section into a choral format, emphasizing harmonies and collective vocal expression intended for ensemble rendition

Etymology: "Choralize" is a plain formation: the adjective "choral," meaning of or for a choir, with the suffix "-ize," which turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning to make or treat in a certain way. Put together, the verb means to make something suitable for choral singing. The "-ize" ending is the same one found in words like "modernize" and "organize," and it entered English through Latin and Greek "-izein" endings, so the word simply follows a well-worn pattern. "Choral" itself comes from the Medieval Latin "choralis," derived from "chorus," which in ancient Greek meant a group of singers and dancers performing together. That older sense of a communal, unified voice is what the verb still carries: a melody that was once sung by one person is reworked so that several voices can sing it together.

Synonyms: harmonize, sing, chant, intonate, vocalize

Antonyms: silence, mute, quiet, whisper, hush