1
as in instrumentalists
a person who plays a musical instrument
the violinist was a famous and exquisitely talented musician
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in composers
a person who writes musical compositions
that musician is known for having written music that is very difficult to perform
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Recent Examples of musicians
Born to a long line of musicians and entertainers (their great-grandparents were vaudevillians), Gunnar and Matt started writing music at age 6, shooting to fame in their own right after launching hard rock duo Nelson in the early 1980s.
—
Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
From there, however, the video leaves The Doors’ native SoCal and heads off around the world to draw upon musical contributions from more than 20 musicians and dancers from eight different countries.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Undercover’s musicians also participated in red carpet appearances and media coverage including interviews with Y100 and NBC 6.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
The awards will run on CBS and Paramount+ between 8pm-11pm ET/5pm-8pm PT on January 11 with a plethora of movies stars, musicians and actors from shows such as Heated Rivalry and Stranger Things taking to the stage.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
And though some male musicians, like the British rocker Yungblud or the R&B singer 4batz, have faced industry plant accusations, anyone paying attention can see that this term is mostly directed at female musicians.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2026
The movie tells the true story of amateur musicians Mike (Hugh Jackman) and Claire (Hudson) Sardina, who meet and fall in love at the Wisconsin State Fair before forming the Neil Diamond tribute duo Lightning and Thunder — and rise to improbable success.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
Grammy-award-winning musicians The Roots and Stephanie Mills will be coming to Baltimore over Memorial Day weekend to headline the city's annual Artscape festival.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Vaca Atolada Known for its intimate roda de samba, Vaca Atolada features musicians playing in a circle while the audience becomes an extension of the band.
—Aaron Randolph, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
From there, however, the video leaves The Doors’ native SoCal and heads off around the world to draw upon musical contributions from more than 20 musicians and dancers from eight different countries.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Undercover’s musicians also participated in red carpet appearances and media coverage including interviews with Y100 and NBC 6.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
The awards will run on CBS and Paramount+ between 8pm-11pm ET/5pm-8pm PT on January 11 with a plethora of movies stars, musicians and actors from shows such as Heated Rivalry and Stranger Things taking to the stage.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
And though some male musicians, like the British rocker Yungblud or the R&B singer 4batz, have faced industry plant accusations, anyone paying attention can see that this term is mostly directed at female musicians.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2026
The movie tells the true story of amateur musicians Mike (Hugh Jackman) and Claire (Hudson) Sardina, who meet and fall in love at the Wisconsin State Fair before forming the Neil Diamond tribute duo Lightning and Thunder — and rise to improbable success.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
Grammy-award-winning musicians The Roots and Stephanie Mills will be coming to Baltimore over Memorial Day weekend to headline the city's annual Artscape festival.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Vaca Atolada Known for its intimate roda de samba, Vaca Atolada features musicians playing in a circle while the audience becomes an extension of the band.
—Aaron Randolph, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for musicians
Noun
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Yet, McBride — one of the top instrumentalists and band leaders in all of jazz today — also delivered the goods during his own 75-minute set with his versatile band Ursa Major.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
28 Sep. 2025
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Skeptical in the sense that TOOL are four members, and despite Keenan’s eagerness to put out more TOOL music soon, the band’s instrumentalists have to be on the same page as well.—
Quentin Thane Singer,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Hartford Symphony Orchestra is also participating in multiple events to celebrate America 250, including a chamber concert at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art on May 17, performing works by American composers.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
4 Jan. 2026
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Departing from tradition, there was no nominee from the fine arts — no dancers, composers, classical musicians or opera stars.—
Christine Ledbetter,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There are moments when great artists are won over by the magic of certain cities and then forever change the way that the world sees them.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
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Fast forward to 2025, and these tactics of recombination and pastiche have become well-established in experimental music, as artists reframe the odds and ends of the past and present through contemporary insight.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Musicians.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/musicians. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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