accompaniment

ac·com·pa·ni·ment

noun \ə-ˈkəm-pə-nē-mənt, -ˈkəmp-nē-\

Definition of ACCOMPANIMENT

1

: an instrumental or vocal part designed to support or complement a melody

2

a : an addition (as an ornament) intended to give completeness or symmetry : complement

b : an accompanying situation or occurrence : concomitant

— ac·com·pa·ni·ment·al \-ˌkəm-pə-nē-ˈmen-t^əl, -ˌkəmp-nē-\ adjective

Examples of ACCOMPANIMENT

1. She sings without musical accompaniment.
2. A nice tie was a fine accompaniment to his new suit.
3. This dish can be served as an accompaniment to most meat main dishes.
4. This wine is a good accompaniment for spicy foods.
5. She studied Italian as an accompaniment to her classes in art history.

First Known Use of ACCOMPANIMENT

1697

Related to ACCOMPANIMENT

Synonyms

attendant, companion, concomitant, corollary, incident, obbligato

Related Words

accessory (also accessary), adjunct, appendage; complement, supplement; counterpart, fellow, mate; consequence, follow-up; fixings, trimmings

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, presto, refrain, riff, segue