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

Their early live shows were marked by ominous guitar riffs, blast beats, and gruesome antics onstage, feeding into the early signs of a new heavy metal subgenre that would become death metal. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026

The purchase turned out to be a guitar and accessories for himself. — News Desk, Artforum, 14 July 2026

Megan Moroney strums her guitar while performing for the Today live audience in New York City on July 10. — People Staff, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026

This release also coincides with a new guitar collab with Church and Gibson called Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Eric Church Hummingbird Dark. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 13 July 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
• bass guitar
• bottleneck guitar
• Hawaiian guitar
• lap steel guitar
• pedal steel guitar
• resonator guitar
• resophonic guitar
• steel guitar

Rhymes for guitar

• adar
• afar
• ajar
• alar
• alvar
• 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)