accompaniment

noun ac·com·pa·ni·ment \ ə-ˈkəm-pə-nē-mənt , -ˈkəmp-nē- \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

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

sang the song with a piano accompaniment

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

a tie that's a nice accompaniment to his new suit

b : an accompanying situation or occurrence : concomitant

studied Italian as an accompaniment to her art history class

—

accompanimental

play \-ˌkəm-pə-nē-ˈmen-tᵊl, -ˌkəmp-nē-\ adjective

See accompaniment defined for English-language learners

See accompaniment defined for kids

Examples of accompaniment in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of accompaniment from the Web

The gin-fresh Blackberry Bees Knees, shaken with local honey and a splash of sparkling wine, is a semi-sweet accompaniment to hush puppies full of blue crab meat.

— liz biro, Indianapolis Star, "The hottest new restaurants in Indianapolis this spring," 19 Apr. 2018
Birria stews filled with goat or beef are a common accompaniment in Jalisco cuisine.

— courtney dabney, star-telegram, "La Antojeria Jalisco: Street-style Mexican favorites with Jalisco flavor | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 18 Apr. 2018
With Lemon Vinaigrette Full of protein- and fiber-rich quinoa and lots of veggies, this salad is a great accompaniment to a main course.

— audrey bruno, SELF, "The 10 Most-Pinned Healthy Salads on Pinterest," 18 Apr. 2018
Come prepared with 20-30 lines from any Shakespeare play; two contrasting songs sung with movement (a capella or bring your own music accompaniment), and dress for movement.

— mark rapp, cleveland.com, "Cleveland theater's auditions for April 13 and Beyond: Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" at Lorain Community Music Theater & More," 13 Apr. 2018
Both the $3,000 and the $500 options are extolled as an excellent accompaniment to pre- and post-surgical procedures—and both are best suited to those looking to reduce wrinkles, sun damage and sagging skin.

— olivia fleming, Harper's BAZAAR, "I Tried a $3,000 Facial in Search of Supermodel Skin," 4 Apr. 2018
And its all played on various types of flutes, though sometimes there's accompaniment from a bass and drums.

— barbara dargis, Daily Southtown, "MVCC musical group focuses on flutes as it prepares for spring concert," 3 Mar. 2018
And the nonstop game action of the first two rounds is the perfect accompaniment to commiseration over sputtering careers, thinning hairlines and busted brackets.

— john carpenter, chicagotribune.com, "8 cities worth a guys trip for March Madness," 21 Feb. 2018
Here, the cevapi ($6.50 for the small, $8.50 for the large, $12.90 for the extra large) are still the thing, filling lepinja that’s oiled and baked to an almost crackling crisp, alongside the traditional accompaniments.

— dominic armato, azcentral, "Burek, bread, baklava: 3 Balkan bakeries and restaurants for some of the best comfort food in Phoenix," 28 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'accompaniment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of accompaniment

accompany + -ment, on the model of French accompagnement, going back to Old French acompaignement "feudal power-sharing contract," derivative of acompaigner "to accompany"

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1697

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

accompaniment Synonyms

Synonyms

attendant, companion, concomitant, corollary;

complement, supplement;

counterpart, fellow, mate;

consequence, follow-up;

fixings, trimmings;

Other Music Terms

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

ACCOMPANIMENT Defined for English Language Learners

accompaniment

noun

: music played to support a person who is singing or playing a musical instrument
: something that is added to another thing to make it better or more appealing; especially : something added to or served with food or a meal
: something that is done or that happens at the same time as something else

ACCOMPANIMENT Defined for Kids

accompaniment

noun ac·com·pa·ni·ment \ ə-ˈkəm-pə-nē-mənt \

: music played in support of someone singing or playing an instrument

Learn More about accompaniment

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for accompaniment Spanish Central: Translation of accompaniment Nglish: Translation of accompaniment for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of accompaniment for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about accompaniment

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accompanimental

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accompaniment

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