vocalist
Americannoun
-
vocalists
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of vocalist
Explanation
Another word for a singer is a vocalist. A large band might include a dozen musicians, a lead vocalist, and a couple of backup vocalists to harmonize. In jazz, it's particularly common to refer to singers as vocalists — it's a way to emphasize that they are musicians, just like the saxophonist and drummer, only a vocalist's instrument is her voice. A guest vocalist might appear on your favorite band's new album, or a band might hire backing vocalists when they perform live. In the early 17th century, this word meant "speaker." It wasn't until the 19th century that the meaning changed to "singer."
Vocabulary lists containing vocalist
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.
See Examples For:
With A.B. on bass, Suzette on drums and Selena as the tender vocalist, the group would eventually sign their first recording contract with Freddie Records in 1984.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
English singer Olivia Dean scored her first real music industry job in 2017, working as a backing vocalist for the electronic group Rudimental.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
“Afro-Punk” will premiere in Los Angeles and New York, with a special screening and book talk on Sunday at the Skirball Cultural Center with former S.O.A. and Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
ZZ top lead vocalist Billy Gibbons, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard in 2009.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
A good example of slurring occurs when a vocalist sings more than one note on the same syllable of text.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
After signing a 19-year-old Houston, she became one of the most successful female vocalists in recording history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
One of his first successes was writing "Stupid Cupid" for one of the era's most popular US female vocalists, Connie Francis.
From Barron's ● Feb. 28, 2026
It says KPop Forever! will "take audiences on a journey that they will never forget with four epic live vocalists, accompanied by four world class dancers amidst a background of eye-popping lighting and effects".
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026
One of the band’s three lead vocalists, Negron sang “One” and “Joy to the World,” among other hits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026
Following the tradition established by Roland Hayes and other African American concert vocalists, she concluded each of her programs with a group of spirituals that often moved her audiences to tears.
From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman
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.
