accompaniment

noun

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

-ˈkəmp-nē-

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

ə-ˌkəm-pə-nē-ˈmen-tᵊl 

-ˌkəmp-nē-

adjective

Synonyms of accompaniment

• complement
• companion
• attendant
• concomitant
• incident
• corollary
• obbligato
• consequence
• adjunct

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 on the Web

His eight-song set, which I was blessed to experience firsthand, was sparsely arranged—the accompaniment amounted to a set of brass bells, a bass guitar, and Cox’s trusty SP-404—yet transfixing all the same. — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026

If Woody Guthrie had a taste for slam-dancing in a hardcore pit with bagpipe accompaniment, this song would be his jam. — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026

The piece’s primary musical accompaniment would be by Jake Lazovick, Chidiac’s boyfriend and partner in the art-rock outfit Voyeur, who was currently taking a siesta. — Nolan Kelly, Artforum, 26 Oct. 2026

Soundtracks often work in a similar way—music that’s been composed with the idea of accompaniment, melodies that are meant to join with a story already can work perfectly when one is in the midst of creating a character or scene. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1697, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing accompaniment

• to the accompaniment of

Kids Definition

accompaniment

noun

ac·​com·​pa·​ni·​ment ə-ˈkəmp-(ə-)nē-mənt 

1

: music played along with a solo part to enrich it

2

: an accompanying object, situation, or event