philharmonic
[ fil-hahr-mon-ik, fil-er- ]
/ ˌfɪl hɑrˈmɒn ɪk, ˌfɪl ər- /
adjective
fond of or devoted to music; music-loving: used especially in the name of certain musical societies that sponsor symphony orchestras (Philharmonic Societies) and hence applied to their concerts (philharmonic concerts).
of, noting, or presented by a symphony orchestra or the society sponsoring it.
noun
a symphony orchestra or the society sponsoring it.
RELATED CONTENT
What Is The Difference Between A Philharmonic And A Symphony?A philharmonic is a symphony orchestra or the group that supports it. A symphony is a large orchestra. An orchestra is a large group of musicians who play together on various instruments, usually including strings, woodwinds, brass instruments, and percussion instruments. So, philharmonic and symphony orchestra are synonymous. Philharmonic comes from Greek words meaning ‘love of harmony’ and in this instance is a colloquial shortening of “philharmonic society” or “philharmonic orchestra.” The term only dates back to …
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
- philately,
- philby,
- philby, kim,
- philem.,
- philemon,
- philharmonic pitch,
- philhellene,
- philhellenism,
- philibeg,
- philip
Origin of philharmonic
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for philharmonic
philharmonic
/ (ˌfɪlhɑːˈmɒnɪk, ˌfɪlə-) /
adjective
fond of music
(capital when part of a name) denoting an orchestra, choir, society, etc, devoted to the performance, appreciation, and study of music
noun
(capital when part of a name) a specific philharmonic choir, orchestra, or society
Word Origin for philharmonic
C18: from French philharmonique, from Italian filarmonico music-loving; see philo-, harmony
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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philharmonic
1813 (in the name of a society founded in London for the promotion of instrumental music), from French philharmonique (1739), from Italian filarmonico, literally "loving harmony," from Greek philos "loving" see philo-) + ta harmonika "theory of harmony, music," from neuter plural of harmonikos (see harmonic). The Society name was taken up in the names of many symphony orchestras.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper