orchestrate

verb

or·​ches·​trate ˈȯr-kə-ˌstrāt 

orchestrated; orchestrating

transitive verb

1

a

: to compose or arrange (music) for an orchestra

The composer orchestrated the music for the symphony orchestra.

b

: to provide with orchestration

orchestrate a ballet

2

: to arrange or combine so as to achieve a desired or maximum effect

orchestrated preparations for the banquet

a carefully orchestrated stunt

orchestrator

ˈȯr-kə-ˌstrā-tər 

noun

or less commonly orchestrater

Examples of orchestrate in a Sentence

He recently orchestrated a musical.

She orchestrated the entire event.

It's still unclear who was responsible for orchestrating the attack.

A strike was orchestrated by union members.

Recent Examples on the Web

Nadella orchestrated Microsoft’s dramatic turnaround by taking an outsider’s look at the company and making big changes with little drama. —Bygeoff Colvin, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2024

Now in his second year at the helm, Chief Executive Officer Bjorn Gulden is trying to orchestrate another era of fast growth at Adidas and close the gap with industry leader Nike, which has stumbled in recent quarters with a sales slowdown and inventory missteps. —Tim Loh, Fortune Europe, 17 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

orchestrate

verb

or·​ches·​trate ˈȯr-kə-ˌstrāt 

orchestrated; orchestrating

1

: to write or arrange music for an orchestra

2

: to arrange or combine so as to get the best effect

orchestration

ˌȯr-kə-ˈstrā-shən

noun