noun
Other Word Forms
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Week 1 Spelling
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -an
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Strangely, for a coming-of-age story written by an Angeleno about a musician from South Central L.A.,
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
He has tangled with authorities in multiple states and broadcasts his moves on social media, including to boldface followers like Loomer and the musician Moby.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Copeland: My daddy raised me to be a jazz musician, which is pretty much why I regard jazz as being music around the family heart, a safe place.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
"I've still got some healing to do, but I am on my way!" the musician said on Monday in announcing the cancellation of the residency.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
When I was a college student, I had a job working as a musician in a black church in a poor section of West Philadelphia.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
