orchestration
Americannoun
-
the composition or arrangement of music for performance by a band or orchestra, or the music so composed or arranged.
Holst's iconic musical portrayal of the planets and their astrological significance delights audiences with its rich orchestration and memorable melodies.
-
the instruments used in such a composition or arrangement; instrumentation.
Handel's original orchestration was for strings and continuo with occasional trumpets and drums.
-
the plans or planning necessary to arrange something or cause something to happen.
The book chronicles the Empress Dowager’s selection as a concubine and her orchestration of the coup that made her the de facto ruler of China.
-
Computers. an automated series of processes to configure, coordinate, or manage computer systems, data, or software.
A successful cloud strategy requires orchestration of on-demand provisioning processes and coordination of cloud resources.
Other Word Forms
- reorchestration noun
Etymology
Origin of orchestration
First recorded in 1830–40; orchestrat(e) ( def. ) + -ion ( def. )
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.
“The question is no longer whether it can dominate the training boom; it is whether it can stay central as AI spending broadens into inference, orchestration, and more customized compute.”
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
“The question is no longer whether it can dominate the training boom; it is whether it can stay central as AI spending broadens into inference, orchestration, and more customized compute.”
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
Seeing all nine different angles unspool in “Sueño Perro” provides a new understanding of the moment’s challenging orchestration.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
“We believe outsized value will accrue in the agent orchestration layer that controls and governs agents across multiple vendors,” putting ServiceNow in a good spot, Borges wrote.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 12, 2026
Writing a set of variations is considered an excellent exercise for students interested in composing, arranging, and orchestration.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
![]()
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.