A countertenor is a man who sings with a high voice that is similar to a low female singing voice. = alto. a man who is trained to sing with a very high voice (contreteneur, from early contratenore ). Adult male alto voice, either natural or falsetto. Some writers use the term only for the natural high tenor, preferring "male alto" for the falsetto voice. Like the castrato tradition, the countertenor developed as a result of the prohibition on women taking part in church choirs. Since the falsetto voice lacks power, it was little used in opera. The countertenor tradition was preserved in the English cathedral choir. Today it is again being widely cultivated internationally, primarily for Renaissance and Baroque music
the highest adult male singing voice a male singer with a voice above that of a tenor of or being the highest male voice; having a range above that of tenor