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Synonyms

musical

American  
[myoo-zi-kuhl] / ˈmyu zɪ kəl /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or producing music.

    a musical instrument.
    Synonyms:
    lyric , sweet , melodic , dulcet , tuneful

  2. of the nature of or resembling music; melodious; harmonious.

  3. fond of or skilled in music.

  4. set to or accompanied by music.

    a musical entertainment.

noun

  1. a play or movie in which the storyline is interspersed with or developed by songs, dances, and the like.

musical British  
/ ˈmjuːzɪkəl /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or used in music

    a musical instrument

  2. harmonious; melodious

    musical laughter

  3. talented in or fond of music

  4. involving or set to music

    a musical evening
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. short for musical comedy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
musical Cultural  

  1. A play or film that contains musical numbers. Musicals can be comedic (see musical comedy) or serious in tone, such as Porgy and Bess.

Other Word Forms

  • antimusical adjective
  • antimusically adverb
  • antimusicalness noun
  • musicality noun
  • musically adverb
  • musicalness noun
  • nonmusical adjective
  • nonmusically adverb
  • nonmusicalness noun
  • premusical adjective
  • premusically adverb
  • quasi-musical adjective
  • quasi-musically adverb

Etymology

Origin of musical

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; from Medieval Latin mūsicālis; music, -al 1

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.

“We talked about politics and history, like the fall of the Roman Empire. And musicals. He loved Broadway.”

From Salon

The Guardian's five-star review said the show is "imaginatively staged, immaculately performed and utterly winning", while the Telegraph described it as a "funny, feel-good, family-friendly musical that looks set to run and run".

From BBC

After the fire, friends started pressing their musical gear into his hands — small acts of generosity that helped stitch him back together.

From Los Angeles Times

The concluding half of Universal’s adaptation of the Broadway musical had a weaker second weekend at the box office than its predecessor following a bigger debut, suggesting that interest was more front-loaded this time around.

From The Wall Street Journal

The re-dedication of the well will be celebrated with musical concerts next weekend.

From BBC

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.