big band

noun

: a band that is larger than a combo and that usually features a mixture of ensemble playing and solo improvisation typical of jazz or swing

Examples of big band in a Sentence

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.
Casati Stampa di Soncino inhabited Peggy Guggenheim’s former home Palazzo Venier dei Leoni and infused Venice with 1920s glamour, wild parties with big band music and monkeys and filled it with famous guests like her lover, poet Gabriele D’Annunzio and visual artist Man Ray. Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025 Guests are encouraged to bring picnic baskets and lawn chairs to set up in front of the Pavilion alongside Wolf Lake to enjoy this tribute to the big band and swing icon. Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025 Plus, hear big band music all day. Caroline Ritzie, The Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2025 The bold use of the synth as a sort of ticking clock before an outbreak of violence shaped the sound of the genre – and helped put the knife in the traditional big band sound. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for big band

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of big band was in 1917

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Cite this Entry

“Big band.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20band. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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