1
: sounds that are sung by voices or played on musical instruments
listening to live/recorded music
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/composing music for a new album.
a song with music by George Gershwin and words/lyrics by Ira Gershwin
classical/popular music
They like to make music [=play or sing music] with friends.
The play/poem was set to music. [=music was written to go with the words of the play/poem]
background music [=music played while something else is happening]
—often used before another nounthe music industry
a music video [=a video recording of a performance of popular music]
2
: written or printed symbols showing how music should be played or sung
He is learning to read music.
a music stand [=a holder on which printed music is placed so that a musician can see it while playing or singing]
3
: the art or skill of creating or performing music
She studied music in college.
music theory
4
: a pleasant sound
the music of a brook
Her words were music to my ears. [=I was very happy to hear what she said]
Cite this Entry
“Music.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/music. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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