Tempo Meaning
/ˈtɛm.pəʊ/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA frequency or rate.
nounA move which is part of one's own plan or strategy and forces, e.g. by means of a check or attacking a piece, the opponent to make a move which is not bad but of no use (the player gains a tempo, the opponent loses a tempo), or equivalently a player achieves the same result in fewer moves by one approach rather than another.
Sentence Examples
Tom beat the drum at a slow tempo.
We're going too fast! I can't play a walking bass line at this tempo.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The conductor increased the ____ of the music to make it more exciting.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The conductor asked the orchestra to increase the ____ of the music to make the final part of the piece more exciting today.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Italian tempo, from Latin tempus (“time”). Doublet of tense. (truck or cargo van): A genericized trademark, originally associated with the manufacturer Vidal & Sohn Tempo-Werke GmbH.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"From the back door of a tempo with his too-strong hands he lifted a woman wearing red clothes, like a precious jewel wrapped in gold embroidered cloth."
— 2025, Banu Mushtaq, “Be a Woman Once, Oh Lord!”, in Deepa Bhasthi, transl., Heart Lamp, And Other Stories, page 208:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The conductor increased the ____ of the music to make it more exciting.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The conductor asked the orchestra to increase the ____ of the music to make the final part of the piece more exciting today.