orchestral

adjective

or·​ches·​tral ȯr-ˈke-strəl How to pronounce orchestral (audio)
Synonyms of orchestralnext
1
: of, relating to, or composed for an orchestra
2
: suggestive of an orchestra or its musical qualities
orchestrally adverb

Examples of orchestral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The full force of Lawrence Sher’s cinematography, Karen Murphy’s production design and Hildur Guðnadóttir’s orchestral score is fabulous, combining to make something seedy, moody and extravagant. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026 With assistance from underground mainstay NoSaint, the sounds are a collage of loopy VST plugins that recall hunger-rap Drake, ethereal textures reminiscent of a Nintendo OST, and soaring orchestral organs. Serge Selenou, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026 Wagner with fewer visuals Wagner imagined his operas as Gesamtkunstwerke, complete art works combining sets, costumes, movements and stage effects with singing and new orchestral colors and harmonies. Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026 Enjoy Dona Nobis Pacem, a musical plea for peace when the world was on the brink of war or be mesmerized by Enigma Variations, an orchestral storytelling with variation conducted by Grant Llewellyn. Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for orchestral

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1779, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of orchestral was circa 1779

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Cite this Entry

“Orchestral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orchestral. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

orchestral

adjective
or·​ches·​tral ȯr-ˈkes-trəl How to pronounce orchestral (audio)
: of, relating to, or written for an orchestra

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