musical

1 of 2

adjective

mu·​si·​cal ˈmyü-zi-kəl How to pronounce musical (audio)
Synonyms of musicalnext
1
a
: of or relating to music
b
: having the pleasing harmonious qualities of music : melodious
2
: having an interest in or talent for music
3
: set to or accompanied by music
4
: of or relating to musicians or music lovers
musically adverb

musical

2 of 2

noun

1
archaic : musicale
2
: a film or theatrical production typically of a sentimental or humorous nature that consists of musical numbers and dialogue based on a unifying plot

Examples of musical in a Sentence

Adjective She has a very musical voice. the musical sounds of the babbling brook
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Hudson’s performance in Song Sung Blue, director Craig Brewer's musical biopic about a Neil Diamond tribute band, has garnered wide praise. Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025 Directed by Mona Fastvold and cowritten by Brady Corbet, director of The Brutalist (which the pair also wrote together), the lushly immersive sort of musical stars an electrifying Amanda Seyfried as Ann Lee, founding leader of the burgeoning Shaker religious movement in the mid-18th century. Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 25 Dec. 2025
Noun
But only Buffy took breaks from those ramp-ups to have fun with its magically elastic world, in haunting silent episodes and delightful musicals, or cut the high-body-count fantasy with jarringly realistic depictions of grief. Judy Berman, Time, 26 Dec. 2025 The movie selection spans war stories, musicals, thrillers, Westerns, comedies and more, coming from directors including Alfred Hitchcock, Howard Hughes and Salvador Dalí. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 26 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for musical

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Medieval Latin musicalis, from musica

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of musical was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Musical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/musical. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

musical

1 of 2 adjective
mu·​si·​cal ˈmyü-zi-kəl How to pronounce musical (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to music or the writing or performance of music
musical instruments
b
: having the pleasing harmonious qualities of music
a musical voice
2
: fond of or gifted in music
a musical family
3
: set to or accompanied by music
musically adverb

musical

2 of 2 noun
: a film or play that tells a story and that includes both musical numbers and dialogue

More from Merriam-Webster on musical

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