guitar

noun

gui·​tar gə-ˈtär 

gi-

especially Southern and Midland US also ˈgi-ˌtär

: a flat-bodied stringed instrument with a long fretted neck and usually six strings played with a pick or with the fingers

guitarist

gə-ˈtär-ist 

gi-

noun

Illustration of guitar

• 1 electric
• 2 acoustic

Examples of guitar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Mayhem executive producer Andrew Watt handled guitar, co-producer Cirkut played synth, Josh Freese drummed, and Gaga commanded two keyboards, actively tweaking sounds on a modular synthesizer. —Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 3 Feb. 2026

Weir was 16, struggling in school but showing promise on the guitar. —David Morgan, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026

And the Canadian pop star certainly made an appearance to remember, performing an acoustic rendition in nothing but his silk boxers and a purple guitar. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2026

For proof, just watch his awe-inspiring performance — widely considered to be one of the single greatest guitar solos in live music history — during the George Harrison tribute at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. —Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French guitare, from Spanish guitarra, from Arabic qītār, from Greek kithara cithara

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing guitar

• air guitar
• bottleneck guitar
• Hawaiian guitar
• lap steel guitar
• pedal steel guitar
• resonator guitar
• resophonic guitar
• steel guitar

Rhymes for guitar

• adar
• afar
• ajar
• alar
• ansar
• bazaar
• bizarre
• boxcar
• boyar
• bulbar
• cachar
• cigar

Kids Definition

guitar

noun

gui·​tar gə-ˈtär 

: a stringed instrument with a flat body, a long neck with frets, and usually six strings that are played with the fingers or with a pick

guitarist

-əst 

noun

Etymology

from French guitare "guitar," derived from Arabic qītār (same meaning)