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

• attendant
• companion
• concomitant
• corollary
• incident
• obbligato

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

At the market, the public is encouraged to sell, shop and sip their way through various vendor stalls, with a wide variety of merchandise — and with surprise musical accompaniment. —Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025

Without this accompaniment, there's a risk of getting stuck in superficial layers of reflection without getting to the real bottom of the matter. —Veronica Angela, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025

In one memorable sequence, D’Annunzio is played by a professional guitarist who, after acting out a crucial showdown with an Italian general, provides his own raucous musical accompaniment to the aftermath. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2025

Add extra cheese, deli meat, olives, pickles, and other favorite charcuterie board accompaniments. —Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Mar. 2025

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