1
as in instrumentalists
a person who plays a musical instrument
the violinist was a famous and exquisitely talented musician
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in composers
a person who writes musical compositions
that musician is known for having written music that is very difficult to perform
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of musicians
Irene and Clint Cleaves opened what was then the Four Way Grill in 1946, a Southern food sanctuary with an integrated clientele and a back door through which Stax musicians sometimes entered to avoid attention.
—
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
The communities that arose there became, to a near-comical degree, temporary cultural strongholds, crammed with artists, musicians, medics, and academics.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
Festivals like Euphoria and Fall for Greenville—both held each fall—turn downtown into a gathering place for chefs, musicians, and travelers, while warmer months bring outdoor concerts, markets, and patio dining to nearly every corner of the city.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2026
Watching Elvis interact with his musicians or flirt with his backup singers helps consolidate the impression that everyone on stage is having a blast.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
This free, one-hour concert features two of San Diego’s most accomplished musicians whose 30-year partnership began entirely by chance.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
The documents merely contain biographical details about the late rock singer’s career during the 1960s, along with other musicians of that era, such as Otis Redding.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 15 Feb. 2026
The film climaxes with a triumphant visit by the musicians, some in their 90s, to New York’s Carnegie Hall.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Wasserman founded his agency in 2002; the talent management group oversees hundreds of high-profile musicians and sports players, including Kendrick Lamar, Coldplay, Skrillex, and Animal Collective.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 15 Feb. 2026
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
The communities that arose there became, to a near-comical degree, temporary cultural strongholds, crammed with artists, musicians, medics, and academics.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
Festivals like Euphoria and Fall for Greenville—both held each fall—turn downtown into a gathering place for chefs, musicians, and travelers, while warmer months bring outdoor concerts, markets, and patio dining to nearly every corner of the city.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2026
Watching Elvis interact with his musicians or flirt with his backup singers helps consolidate the impression that everyone on stage is having a blast.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
This free, one-hour concert features two of San Diego’s most accomplished musicians whose 30-year partnership began entirely by chance.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
The documents merely contain biographical details about the late rock singer’s career during the 1960s, along with other musicians of that era, such as Otis Redding.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 15 Feb. 2026
The film climaxes with a triumphant visit by the musicians, some in their 90s, to New York’s Carnegie Hall.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Wasserman founded his agency in 2002; the talent management group oversees hundreds of high-profile musicians and sports players, including Kendrick Lamar, Coldplay, Skrillex, and Animal Collective.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for musicians
Noun
-
The latter features performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, instrumentalists and other creators actively working in the recording industry.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Feb. 2026
-
And the same can be said for the other recent Megadeth albums – Mustaine’s vocals often feel like a burden to the songs, and the band’s instrumentalists do most of the heavy lifting, including Mustaine himself.—
Quentin Thane Singer,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Also screening at the fest is Harry Lighton’s kinky BDSM romance Pillion, led by Alexander Skarsgard and Harry Melling and Alex Burunova’s Satisfaction, a study of the creative tension between two British composers with Laird and Whitehead.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Andrew Lloyd Webber, one of the most successful composers and producers in the history of musical theater, will be honored by Goodspeed Musicals on May 30 at the company’s 2026 Gala & Auction at the New Haven Lawn Club.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In 1996, Jackson turned his attention to the Academy Awards, angered that there was only one Black nominee among the 166 artists nominated.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The festival includes six stages with cultural entertainment throughout the park along with live performances by chart-topping artists such as Fitz and the Tantrums, The Band Perry and Walker Hayes.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Musicians.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/musicians. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
