noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of musician
1350–1400; Middle English musicien < Middle French. See music, -ian
Explanation
Anyone who plays music can be called a musician. Whether you're playing the cello on stage at Carnegie Hall or playing the harmonica on a subway platform, you're a musician. While this word is most often used to mean a professional instrumentalist, it can also refer to someone who writes or sings music, and even your brother's friend who occasionally plays the drums in a Led Zeppelin cover band. Musician originally meant "one skilled in music," from the Latin musica, "the art of music and poetry," which has a Greek root, mousike, "art of the Muses."
Vocabulary lists containing musician
List 2
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -an
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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:
"Very sad news of the death of Bill Oddie: birder, comedian, musician, artist and environmental campaigner, and dear friend and colleague to me and many others," Moss wrote, external.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
"Bill was a multi-talented celebrity -- wildlife presenter, broadcaster, comedian, writer, songwriter, musician and conservationist," his agent David Foster said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
“I pride myself on having been a true vocalist,” the musician said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
But the costs of putting on shows and maintaining a venue—buying new equipment, paying salaries, wages, musician fees and more—grew as well, ultimately outpacing revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
At the beginning of her career as a professional musician, Abbie Conant was in Italy, playing trombone for the Royal Opera of Turin.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Across the last 60 years or so, Kaye has toured the globe, worked with amazing musicians, and witnessed multiple incredible moments.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
In response, it launched a tool called Artist Profile Protection in March, which allows certain musicians to review any new additions before they are added to their pages.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The stories and sufferings of prison life have often been captured in the melodies of incarcerated musicians.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
In the fall of 1990, I found myself with a small band of touring musicians on a day off between Naples and Rome, in Pompeii.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Here she found the stage door, where the dancers and musicians and stagehands went in and out.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
