"In opera or commedia dell'arte, a prima donna [\u02C8pri\u02D0ma \u02C8d\u0254nna] (plural: prime donne; Italian for \"first lady\") is the leading female singer in the company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. The prima donna was normally, but not necessarily, a soprano. The corresponding term for the male lead (almost always a tenor) is primo uomo.Prime donne often had grand off-stage personalities and were seen as demanding of their colleagues."@en . . .