Beethoven

American  

[bey-toh-vuhn, beyt-hoh-fuhn] / ˈbeɪ toʊ vən, ˈbeɪt hoʊ fən /

noun

1. Ludwig van 1770–1827, German composer.

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Beethoven British  

/ ˈbeɪtˌhəʊvən /

noun

1. Ludwig van (ˈluːtvɪç fan). 1770–1827, German composer, who greatly extended the form and scope of symphonic and chamber music, bridging the classical and romantic traditions. His works include nine symphonies, 32 piano sonatas, 16 string quartets, five piano concertos, a violin concerto, two masses, the opera Fidelio (1805), and choral music

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Other Word Forms

• Beethovenian
  adjective
• Beethovian
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Beethoven

He is joined by other musicians including Camper Van Beethoven lead singer David Lowery, blues musician Guy Forsyth and saxophonist Eduardo Calle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Keeping Beethoven lively will be her mission as Bonn and the world mark the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death in 2027.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

He was speaking from the shaded courtyard garden of his Mayer am Pfarrplatz heuriger, down the steps from the room where Beethoven stayed while composing part of the Ninth Symphony.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

Under Dhanraj Master, he studied Western music, mastering the guitar and piano while immersing himself in Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert.

From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026

Beethoven, though, knew his contemporary music, and particularly the groundbreaking piano music of two London-based composers, Italian Muzio Clementi and Bohemian Johann Dussek.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall