organist

American

[awr-guh-nist] / ˈɔr gə nɪst /

noun

a person who plays the organ.

organist British

/ ˈɔːɡənɪst /

noun

a person who plays the organ

"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

Etymology

Origin of organist

1585–95; < Medieval Latin organista; equivalent to organ ( um ) organ + -ista -ist

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.

Jimmy Smith, the jazz organist, was an early inspiration, he told The Times in 1996; Smith’s albums, he said, were his “bibles.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

Ms Shane not only invited the pair to dance in the ballroom - but also promised the resident organist would accompany them.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025

As the priest then began the offertory portion of the liturgy, which often is accompanied by quiet music, the organist played a reflective piece very slowly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

Ton Koopman, the Dutch organist and head of the Bach Archive who performed the works on Monday, said they were "of a very high quality".

From Barron's • Nov. 17, 2025

Then the organist began to fill the church with organ sounds.

From "Clayton Byrd Goes Underground" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023