symphony

noun

sym·pho·ny | \ ˈsim(p)-fə-nē

plural symphonies

Definition of symphony

1 : consonance of sounds

2a : ritornello sense 1

b : sinfonia sense 1

c(1) : a usually long and complex sonata for symphony orchestra

(2) : a musical composition (as for organ) resembling such a symphony in complexity or variety

3 : consonance or harmony of color (as in a painting)

4a : symphony orchestra

b : a symphony orchestra concert

5 : something that in its harmonious complexity or variety suggests a symphonic composition a symphony of flavors

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Examples of symphony in a Sentence

the satisfying symphony of color in Renoir's canvases a performance of a Bach concerto by the San Antonio Symphony

Recent Examples on the Web

The playing embraced all that Mahler was in a vast symphony with the emotional trajectory of a classic novel. — Mark Swed, latimes.com, "MTT takes Mahler to a new level in San Francisco Symphony tour," 28 Mar. 2018 The program combined American orchestral pieces of broad popular appeal from the early 1940s with the most popular symphony in the repertory that was inspired by America, Dvorak’s Symphony No. — John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Review: John Malkovich's wan narration disappoints in CSO reading of 'Lincoln Portrait'," 13 Apr. 2018 Due to the family’s long-time support of the symphony, opera and other arts endeavors, the new performing arts center that opened in recent years was named the Tobin Center for Performaning Arts. — From Express-news Archives, San Antonio Express-News, "Edgar Tobin, founder of the Tobin Aerial Surveys firm, died in a plane crash in January 1954," 10 Jan. 2018 Dinner was a chic Italianate affair: a symphony of glistening Richard Ginori porcelain and colorful Venetian glass goblets, with a menu of crab and langoustine cocktail followed by individual (and very cosy) shepherd’s pie and petit fours. — Vogue, "Claire Foy, Idris Elba, Anna Wintour, Sophie Okonedo, Ralph Fiennes, and the Cast of Hamilton Fete the 64th Evening Standard Theatre Awards," 19 Nov. 2018 The mechanical symphony of a Ferrari V12 enhances the sensation of speed in a way that hardwires your ears directly to the pit of your stomach. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "The Ferrari "Family Car" Still Spits Fire," 24 Aug. 2018 His 1989 debut, Pretty Hate Machine, paired chintzy synth-pop symphonies with shockingly abject self-loathing, but his true breakthrough of confrontation came with 1992’s Broken, one of the best EPs in rock history. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Nine Inch Nails Is Still Pushing the Sound of Catharsis," 22 June 2018 Throughout the symphony, the music making veered with complete naturalness between Mitteleuropean buoyancy and darker tones suggesting Weltschmerz. — David Mermelstein, WSJ, "The Czech Philharmonic’s Global Ambitions," 31 Oct. 2018 Argento’s Suspiria used its aesthetic to celebrate a witchery that was inherently otherworldly and stylized, producing a rapturous symphony of violence for its own beautiful sake. — Aja Romano, Vox, "How Suspiria turns the color red into a plot point," 9 Nov. 2018

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