musicology

American  

[myoo-zi-kol-uh-jee] / ˌmju zɪˈkɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. the scholarly or scientific study of music, as in historical research, musical theory, or the physical nature of sound.

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musicology British  

/ ˌmjuːzɪˈkɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the scholarly study of music

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Other Word Forms

• musicologist
  noun
• musicological
  adjective
• musicologically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of musicology

First recorded in 1905–10; music + -o- + -logy

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

musicology

Mr. Page is a professor emeritus of musicology at the University of Southern California and the editor of “The Glenn Gould Reader.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026

Ted Albrecht, a professor emeritus of musicology at Kent State University in Ohio and author of a recent book on the Ninth Symphony, described the scene.

From New York Times ● May 6, 2024

“People … imagine it as being some kind of validation of that artist,” Robert Fink, a professor of musicology and humanities at UCLA, said of such course offerings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2023

As the musicology podcast Switched On Pop recently observed, Vampire gathers pace in the second verse, with galloping drums that suggest a chase scene - but it all ends on an unresolved chord.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2023

And ear training is also crucial for those interested in music theory, musicology, or just being able to write down a tune accurately.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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