accompaniment

American  

[uh-kuhm-puh-ni-muhnt, uh-kuhmp-ni-] / əˈkʌm pə nɪ mənt, əˈkʌmp nɪ- /

noun

accompaniments plural

1. something incidental or added for ornament, symmetry, etc.

2. Music. a part in a composition designed to serve as background and support for more important parts.

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accompaniment British  

/ əˈkʌmpnɪ-, əˈkʌmpənɪmənt /

noun

1. something that accompanies or is served or used with something else

2. something inessential or subsidiary that is added, as for ornament or symmetry

3. music a subordinate part for an instrument, voices, or an orchestra

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonaccompaniment
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• accompaniments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of accompaniment

First recorded in 1725–35; accompany + -ment

Explanation

If your menu tonight consists of grilled pork and savory apples, then the pork is the main item and the apples are the accompaniment, meaning they complement the main dish. The noun accompaniment entered English in the eighteenth century and originally was used in a musical sense to describe a part in a song that supports or acts as background for another more prominent part. Its meaning later expanded to include not only musical assistance but other things that completes or make better the main thing. You’ll often hear it used to describe a food that supports the main item on a plate.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

accompaniment accompaniments

Rather, it was accompaniment: feeding, sheltering, driving, watching, and warning so no one had to move in isolation.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

He asks his mother to run through the death scene with a different sequence of movements and introduces the accompaniment of George Crotty on cello to liberate her performance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

Traditional music and drumming also provided an accompaniment to the activities.

From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026

They’ve also allowed people to organize things like court accompaniment, protection for religious services and food drives.

From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2026

To the delight of the crowd, the conductor led his orchestra in “Hail to the Chief,” the traditional musical accompaniment to the entrance of the president.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Elegantly played laments and dances were woven between the text sections, and sometimes skillfully repurposed as their background accompaniments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2025

Speaking of sides and accompaniments, you need some color: A sheet pan overflowing with a mix of vegetables like acorn squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli/broccolini, Brussel sprouts or anything else that looks good is always beautiful.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2024

Those dishes, plus your coffee of choice are the perfect accompaniments to a post-museum debrief or just the next time hunger strikes while on campus.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 16, 2023

Wang, along with Dudamel, who was propulsive and extravagantly detailed in the accompaniments, went instead for the dynamism of our times.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2023

Soft piano or violin concertos with orchestral accompaniments work well.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin