conjunto
Americannoun
-
(in Latin America or Hispanic communities) a dance band comprised of an accordion, a twelve-string bass guitar, a double bass, and drums.
-
this style of popular dance music, based on polka, waltz, and bolero rhythms.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of conjunto
First recorded in 1995–2000; from Spanish: literally, “ensemble”; see origin at conjunct ( def. ), junta
Explanation
Conjunto is Latin American dance music that blends German and Mexican sounds. It’s popular in Hispanic communities, in Texas, and wherever world music is played. Look conjunto up on your streaming service and add some to your playlist! The word conjunto is borrowed from Spanish, where it means "ensemble," another word for a musical group. How did the strands of Mexican and German music come together? In the late 1800s, Mexico received many German immigrants, who brought their accordions, songs, and dances with them. As the Germans got involved in Mexican culture, their music and dances — such as polkas and waltzes — had an influence on some of the music around them. And conjunto was born!
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:
“He could play some really cool mariachi music and some of the Tejano and conjunto stuff,” Bingham says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2022
His blend of jazz, mambo and conjunto would become one of the primary influences on the emerging idea of salsa.
From New York Times ● Aug. 24, 2021
Los Texmaniacs The Grammy-winning conjunto band performs its signature Tex-Mex music as part of the grand opening of the west wing of the museum’s second floor.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 20, 2017
Snyder’s Texas isn’t very Texan: no conjunto music or Lockhart smokehouses, no dynastic San Antonio Spurs, no mesquite and no mesas.
From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2013
Perched on the steps, an old-fashioned radio played conjunto music, and on the shaded porch, sitting in a rocking chair, a skinny old man gazed at the horizon.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
The above scene is from “Chulas Fronteras,” a 1976 documentary about life on the United States-Mexico border and the accordion-driven conjuntos that served as the soundtrack to the region.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2025
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.
