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

The Bowl wasn’t more than a third full for a Beethoven program.

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

Many fans have moved on as well, some perhaps deciding there’s more musical transcendence and power in one Beethoven sonata than in the entire rock catalog.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026

And the Messiah who had rallied them to the cause was Beethoven.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall