orchestra

American  

[awr-kuh-struh] / ˈɔr kə strə /

noun

orchestras plural

1. a group of performers on various musical instruments, including especially stringed instruments of the viol class, clarinets and flutes, cornets and trombones, drums, and cymbals, for playing music, as symphonies, operas, popular music, or other compositions.

2. (in a modern theater)

   1. the space reserved for the musicians, usually the front part of the main floor orchestra pit.

   2. the entire main-floor space for spectators.

   3. the parquet.

3. (in the ancient Greek theater) the circular space in front of the stage, allotted to the chorus.

4. (in the Roman theater) a similar space reserved for persons of distinction.

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orchestra British  

/ ɔːˈkɛstrəl, ˈɔːkɪstrə /

noun

1. a large group of musicians, esp one whose members play a variety of different instruments See also symphony orchestra string orchestra chamber orchestra

2. a group of musicians, each playing the same type of instrument

   a balalaika orchestra

3. Also called: orchestra pit.  the space reserved for musicians in a theatre, immediately in front of or under the stage

4. the stalls in a theatre

5. (in the ancient Greek theatre) the semicircular space in front of the stage

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orchestra Cultural  

1. A group of musicians who play together on a variety of instruments, which usually come from all four instrument families — brass, percussion, strings, and woodwinds. A typical symphony orchestra is made up of more than ninety musicians. Most orchestras, unlike chamber music groups, have more than one musician playing each musical part.

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Usage

What’s the difference between an orchestra, a symphony, and a philharmonic? In popular use, orchestra, symphony, and philharmonic are often used interchangeably to refer to a large group of musicians assembled to play music, especially classical music. The most common (and general) term is orchestra. Most large orchestras include many different instruments and classes of instruments, including strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. The word symphony primarily refers to a complex, multipart musical composition (like Beethoven’s fifth symphony), but it’s also a short way of referring to a symphony orchestra—a large orchestra, the kind that performs symphonies. (Smaller orchestras—those with about 25 people—are often called chamber orchestras). As a noun, the word philharmonic can refer to a symphony orchestra or to the organization that sponsors it (sometimes called a philharmonic society, in which philharmonic is used as an adjective). The word orchestra most commonly refers to the group of musicians, but it can also refer to the space reserved for them, usually the front part of the main floor (sometimes called the orchestra pit). Both symphony and philharmonic are sometimes used in the names of orchestras, as in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Here’s an example of orchestra, symphony, and philharmonic used correctly in a sentence. Example: I’ve attended performances of this symphony by the Berlin Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between orchestra, symphony, and philharmonic.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• orchestral
  adjective
• orchestrally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• orchestras
  plural

Etymology

Origin of orchestra

1590–1600; < Latin orchēstra < Greek orchḗstra the space on which the chorus danced, derivative of orcheîsthai to dance

Explanation

If you love classical music concerts led by a conductor, with a big sound and plenty of violins, you're an orchestra fan. An orchestra features many different kinds of instruments, almost always including those with strings such as violas and cellos. Sometimes this group of musicians is called a "symphony orchestra," and it's directed by a conductor with a baton. The word orchestra comes from the actual space in which an orchestra plays; the Greek orkhestra means "a space where a chorus of dancers performs," from orkheisthai, "to dance."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

orchestra orchestras

Conducted by its incoming music director, Peter Whelan—just the fourth in the group’s 45-year history—the orchestra was in excellent form, its stylish swing and careful balances buoyantly supporting the singers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

The pianos are always muted, the drums all sound like they're being played next door, and the orchestra is buried deep in the mix to foreground Abrams' voice.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

That date became yet another money-maker with private event — a screening of “Moana” with live orchestra, luckily before the disappointing reviews and box office performance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026

The orchestra, one of the oldest amateur ensembles in Africa, includes retirees, high-school students, surgeons and engineers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

But we were miles from the railroad, and this was a full orchestra, with violins.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Gospel choirs, country musicians, jazz ensembles, mariachi groups, Indigenous performers, military bands and local community orchestras share stages throughout the city.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

For Daniel-Hoste, a classically trained pipe organist who plays in regional orchestras and teaches piano on the side, his expenditures hardly seemed exorbitant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

When he is not conducting orchestras, Harding works as a pilot for Air France.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

British conductor Daniel Harding, who combines classical music with being a part-time commercial airline pilot, has landed the top job with one of the leading orchestras in the US.

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

We practiced the splits, and bending backward, the high-stepping strut, and I saw myself a sequined princess leading orchestras across a football field, the idol of cheering fans.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston

Related Words

• band
• ensemble