Definition

1. Noun:
   • A musical composition or voluntary played at the conclusion of a religious service: A "postlude" is a piece of music, often for the organ, performed as the final act of a church service, typically as the congregation departs.

Usage

• The term "postlude" is used specifically in a musical and liturgical context. It serves as the counterpart to a "prelude," which is played at the beginning. It is a formal, concluding musical offering.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The organist's majestic postlude filled the cathedral as people left.
  • The service ended with a short, reflective postlude.

Advanced Usage

• While primarily liturgical, "postlude" can be used metaphorically in literature or discussion to denote a concluding section or event that serves a similar function to a musical finale.
  • The quiet reconciliation served as a postlude to the heated argument.

Variants and Related Words

• Prelude (n): A piece of music played as an introduction, especially to a church service or a longer musical work.
• Interlude (n): A short piece of music or an intervening period of time.

Synonyms

• Final voluntary
• Closing piece
• Coda (in a broader musical sense, though "coda" is part of a composition itself)

Antonyms

• Prelude
• Overture
• Introduction

Notes

• The word is formed from the prefix "post-" (meaning "after") and "-lude" (from the Latin "ludus," meaning "play"). It directly parallels the structure and meaning of "prelude."

Noun

1. a voluntary played at the end of a religious service