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  

/ əˈkʌmpənɪmənt, əˈkʌmpnɪ- /

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

After an intermission, the venue will screen Marvel’s haunted “Werewolf by Night” with live orchestral accompaniment conducted by Sarah Hicks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

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

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

Ms. Salvant’s 2023 release, “Mélusine,” included songs that dated back to the 12th century, sung in four languages, and made prominent use of the theorbo, the plucked lute used for Baroque basso continuo accompaniment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Working his acoustic guitar with a French horn accompaniment — French horns! — he dares us to balance our relentless socioeconomic drive with our deep need to hang out, to while away the hours.

From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026

The Midland High band played “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” then “Come a Little Bit Closer” to the accompaniment of hundreds of little American flags bobbing up and down.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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

When handled with care and given thoughtful accompaniments, it can be the most exciting part of the meal.

From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2025

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

The “Blurred Lines” case concerned genre, while the “Dark Horse” case — and another involving Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” — had to do with commonplace musical elements, like chord progressions and melodic accompaniments.

From New York Times ● Dec. 12, 2022

Soft piano or violin concertos with orchestral accompaniments work well.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin