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 continuityb : 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 nightingaleb : 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 1score 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
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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 of music from the Web
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Members can’t watch television, go to the movies, read newspapers or eat in restaurants that play music or serve alcohol.
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Erin was competing in her second consecutive National Spelling Bee and spelled her first word on Thursday night correctly: strisciando - in a slurred or smooth manner, used as a direction in music.
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Ice cream sundaes will be served, there will be music and a guest speaker, Altovise Ferguson, who will share her story about surviving cancer.
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Together, the original lineup fused elements of rock, blues and country music and opened the doors for other groups and artists that followed.
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In the 1990s, Ms. Honda made hip, surreal party music as one half of the Japanese-expatriate duo Cibo Matto.
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Valentina loves the stimulation provided by music and toys, and does exercises to help her feet.
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His dancehall style has become one of the most coveted sounds in pop music.
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When the music stopped, an impromptu silence, lasting at least a minute and started by nobody, began.
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.
Origin and Etymology of music
Middle English musik, from Anglo-French musike, from Latin musica, from Greek mousikē any art presided over by the Muses, especially music, from feminine of mousikos of the Muses, from Mousa Muse
MUSIC Defined for English Language Learners
music
playDefinition of music for English Language Learners
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: sounds that are sung by voices or played on musical instruments
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: written or printed symbols showing how music should be played or sung
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: the art or skill of creating or performing music
MUSIC Defined for Kids
music
playDefinition of music for Students
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.
Learn More about music
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Spanish Central: Translation of music Nglish: Translation of music for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of music for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about music
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