music

noun, often attributive

mu·sic | \ ˈmyü-zik

Definition of music

1a : the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity

b : vocal, instrumental, or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody, or harmony choral music piano music recorded music

2a : an agreeable sound : euphony her voice was music to my ears the music of a nightingale

b : musical quality the music of verse the music of lovingly orchestrated words — Saturday Review

3 : a musical accompaniment a play set to music

4 : the score (see score entry 1 sense 6a) of a musical composition set down on paper leafing through the music

5 : a distinctive type or category of music there is a music for everybody— Eric Salzman rock music jazz music classical music

Examples of music in a Sentence

This is one of my favorite pieces of music. performing music in front of an audience dancing to the music of a big band They are writing music for a new album. a song with music by George Gershwin and words by Ira Gershwin He is learning to read music. She studied music in college.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are among music's most iconic couples, with one of the longest-lasting marriages in the industry. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "A Look Back at Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's Legendary Marriage," 2 Feb. 2019 Some people use music or a workout buddy to push them faster. — Jen Murphy, WSJ, "His Top Fitness Challenge: Dodge the Charging Moose," 2 Feb. 2019 The night of the massacre, Paddock used assault-style rifles to fire more than 1,000 rounds in 11 minutes into the crowd of 22,000 music fans. — Ken Ritter, The Seattle Times, "FBI finds no specific motive in Vegas attack that killed 58," 30 Jan. 2019 Clients frequented private music events with big-name rappers like French Montana, Wale, Ty Dolla $ign, and Rick Ross. — Rose Minutaglio, Town & Country, "How Carola Jain, a Well-Connected New York Investor, Got Duped Into Funding the Fyre Festival," 26 Jan. 2019 Sasha Velour’s ‘Nightgowns’ at National Sawdust Sasha Velour, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Rage, is hosting an all-night drag showcase at experimental Williamsburg music venue National Sawdust. — Condé Nast Traveler, "Six Ways to Spend New Years Eve in New York: An Insider's Guide," 24 Dec. 2018 But music is just one the many avenues Ruiz uses to channel her creativity. — Jasmin Hernandez, Harper's BAZAAR, "Nomi Ruiz on Making Art That Means Something," 17 Jan. 2019 Moments later, the music began, and Courtney's shy shell came off and her explosive talent shined through. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'AGT' Star Courtney Hadwin's Time on the Show Was More Controversial Than People Realize," 14 Jan. 2019 In Spotify’s case, the music-streaming company was expected to generate significant investor interest anyway, but there are questions around whether Slack has broad enough name recognition. — Maureen Farrell, WSJ, "Slack Plans to Follow Spotify on Unconventional IPO Route," 11 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'music.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for music

music

noun

English Language Learners Definition of music

: sounds that are sung by voices or played on musical instruments

: written or printed symbols showing how music should be played or sung

: the art or skill of creating or performing music

See the full definition for music in the English Language Learners Dictionary

music

noun

mu·sic | \ ˈmyü-zik

Kids Definition of music

1 : an arrangement of sounds having melody, rhythm and usually harmony classical music

2 : the art of producing pleasing or expressive combinations of tones especially with melody, rhythm, and usually harmony I want to study music in college.

3 : a musical composition set down on paper Bring your music.

4 : a pleasing sound Your voice is music to my ears.