ensemble

[ahn-sahm-buhl, -sahmb, ahn-sahn-bl^uh]

noun

plural

ensembles 

1. all the parts of a thing taken together, so that each part is considered only in relation to the whole.

   Synonyms: aggregate, entirety, totality

2. the entire costume of an individual, especially when all the parts are in harmony.

   She was wearing a beautiful ensemble by one of the French designers.

3. a set of furniture.

4. Music.

   1. the united performance of an entire group of singers, musicians, etc.

   2. the group so performing.

      a string ensemble.

5. a group of supporting entertainers, as actors, dancers, and singers, in a theatrical production.

ensemble

/ ɑ̃sɑ̃blə, ɒnˈsɒmbəl /

noun

1. all the parts of something considered together and in relation to the whole

2. a person's complete costume; outfit

3. 1. the cast of a play other than the principals; supporting players

   2. ( as modifier )

      an ensemble role

4. music

   1. a group of soloists singing or playing together

   2. ( as modifier )

      an ensemble passage

5. music the degree of precision and unity exhibited by a group of instrumentalists or singers performing together

   the ensemble of the strings is good

6. the general or total effect of something made up of individual parts

7. physics

   1. a set of systems (such as a set of collections of atoms) that are identical in all respects apart from the motions of their constituents

   2. a single system (such as a collection of atoms) in which the properties are determined by the statistical behaviour of its constituents

adverb

1. all together or at once

adjective

1. (of a film or play) involving several separate but often interrelated story lines

   ensemble comedy drama

2. involving no individual star but several actors whose roles are of equal importance

   fine ensemble playing

Word History and Origins

Origin of ensemble¹

1740–50; < French: together < Latin insimul, equivalent to in- in- ² + simul together; simultaneous

Word History and Origins

Origin of ensemble¹

C15: from French: together, from Latin insimul, from _in- ² + simul at the same time

Example Sentences

Her ensemble is packed away, and she’s hiding beneath the shade of a personal umbrella, which she props up with her hands.

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The more bizarre the ensemble — jackets over skirts over pants over boots — the less anyone would notice the person wearing it.

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The barricade is also where the actor who plays Fantine, Lindsay Heather Pearce, sits for a time when she becomes part of the ensemble after singing the heart-wrenching “I Dreamed a Dream.”

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Harriet Dyer plays Colette, sweet and awkward and nominally the ensemble’s main character.

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“American Auto,” the NBC ensemble comedy she had been on, didn’t get renewed for a third season.

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Related Words

• assemblage 
• band 
• cast 
• choir 
• chorus 
• orchestra 
• quartet 
• quintet 
• sextet 
• trio 
• troupe