comparsa

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish comparsa.

Noun

comparsa (plural comparsas)

1. A group of singers, musicians and dancers in a carnival or other festivity in Spain or Latin America.

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /komˈpar.sa/
• Rhymes: -arsa
• Hyphenation: com‧pàr‧sa

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

comparsa f (plural comparse)

1. appearance, apparition, arrival, outbreak
2. (drama) extra, walk-on, spear-carrier, supernumerary

Related terms

• comparire
• comparsata

Descendants

• → French: comparse (see there for further descendants)

Etymology 2

Participle

comparsa f sg

1. feminine singular of comparso

   Synonym: comparita

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian comparsa.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kõˈpaʁ.sɐ/ [kõˈpah.sɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kõˈpaʁ.sɐ/ [kõˈpah.sɐ]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /kõˈpaɾ.sɐ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /kõˈpaʁ.sɐ/ [kõˈpaχ.sɐ]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /kõˈpaɻ.sɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kõˈpaɾ.sɐ/

• Rhymes: -aɾsɐ
• Hyphenation: com‧par‧sa

Noun

comparsa m or f by sense (plural comparsas)

1. (drama) extra, walk-on, spear-carrier, supernumerary

   Synonym: figurante

2. an accomplice in a crime

   Synonym: cúmplice

3. a friend or partner

   Synonyms: camarada, companheiro, cupincha, compincha

Further reading

• “comparsa”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “comparsa”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /komˈpaɾsa/ [kõmˈpaɾ.sa]
• Rhymes: -aɾsa
• Syllabification: com‧par‧sa

Noun

comparsa f (plural comparsas)

1. troupe
2. a group of people all dressed up in the same clothing, especially for a carnival
3. (film, theater) extra

   Synonym: figurante

4. (film, theater, collective) the extras

Further reading

• “comparsa”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025