Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

musical

American  
[myoo-zi-kuhl] / ˈmyu zɪ kəl /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or producing music.

    a musical instrument.
    Synonyms:
    lyric, sweet, melodic, dulcet, tuneful

  2. of the nature of or resembling music; melodious; harmonious.

  3. fond of or skilled in music.

  4. set to or accompanied by music.

    a musical entertainment.

noun

  1. a play or movie in which the storyline is interspersed with or developed by songs, dances, and the like.

musical British  
/ ˈmjuːzɪkəl /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or used in music

    a musical instrument

  2. harmonious; melodious

    musical laughter

  3. talented in or fond of music

  4. involving or set to music

    a musical evening
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. short for musical comedy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
musical Cultural  

  1. A play or film that contains musical numbers. Musicals can be comedic (see musical comedy) or serious in tone, such as Porgy and Bess.

Other Word Forms

  • antimusical adjective
  • antimusically adverb
  • antimusicalness noun
  • musicality noun
  • musically adverb
  • musicalness noun
  • nonmusical adjective
  • nonmusically adverb
  • nonmusicalness noun
  • premusical adjective
  • premusically adverb
  • quasi-musical adjective
  • quasi-musically adverb

Etymology

Origin of musical

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; from Medieval Latin mūsicālis; music, -al 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A number of artists have in recent months called off appearances, including a production of the musical "Hamilton," operatic soprano Renee Fleming and composer Philip Glass.

From Barron's

"The Grammys have traditionally placed strong emphasis on musical quality -- an area in which K-pop is not widely recognised," he said.

From Barron's

He won a Tony for producing the musical "A Strange Loop."

From Barron's

This marked the 10th total Grammy win for the musical duo.

From Los Angeles Times

What it says about America: Genres were dissolving and the internet was flattening the musical landscape into a shared monoculture.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.