Did you know?
A classical quintet is usually written for strings (usually two violins, two violas, and a cello) or woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn), but brass quintets (two trumpets, horn, trombone, and tuba) have also become popular in North America recently. In jazz, Miles Davis led two famous quintets. In pop music, the Miracles, the Temptations, and the Jackson 5 were immensely popular vocal quintets. In rock, one of the most common instrumental lineups has been a quintet consisting of two guitars, a bass, a keyboard, and drums; famous rock quintets have included the Grateful Dead and the Beach Boys.
Examples of quintet in a Sentence
Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
The amount for the quintet of businesses struggling during the pandemic totaled about $6,000.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
The free-jazz quintet led by Camae Ayewa aka Moor Mother, will release Future Present Past on March 27 via Impulse!
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
The ceremony included a color guard, chaplain, a brass quintet, a 21-gun salute, and the placing of an official White House wreath on President Reagan’s gravesite.
—Staff Report, Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quintet
Cite this Entry
“Quintet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quintet. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quintet
noun
