pianist
Americannoun
-
pianists
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pianist
1830–40; < French pianiste < Italian pianista. See piano 1, -ist
Explanation
If you play the piano, you are a pianist. The word most often describes a professional piano player, like a pianist in the symphony. A pianist might work playing jazz standards in a restaurant or performing solo shows on stages all over the world. A local pianist might make some extra money by giving piano lessons to kids, tuning pianos, or serving as a substitute music teacher. The French source of the word pianist is pianiste, which comes from the Italian piano e forte, "soft and loud."
Vocabulary lists containing pianist
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.
See Examples For:
Here, the pianist often sounded glassy and superficial, and the orchestra unengaged.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
In Kingsolver’s latest, a farm wife named Livia Cable has her quietly composed life blown open by a phone call from her days as a brilliant pianist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
This past June, Mr. Threadgill stood center stage flanked by pianist Vijay Iyer and drummer Dafnis Prieto at Manhattan’s Jazz Gallery, where these three first played as a trio 15 years ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The 41-year-old was also featured on BBC Radio 4 as an accomplished pianist in 2015, and appeared as a panel guest on an episode of A Question of Sport in 2014.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
As Francie walked in, the pianist drifted into another song inspired by Francie’s new gray fall suit and her gray suede pumps.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
During the past 15 years, Ms. Davis has established herself as one of the leading pianists in jazz and a relentless advocate of experimentation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
The international performers who have become part of the “Stamptown” universe run the gamut from jugglers to steel drum players to acrobats to pianists.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Mr. Batiste joins a long list of pianists who have responded to Monk’s music.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
As part of their studies, they researched other single-handed pianists - such as Nicholas McCarthy and Leon Fleisher - who had made successful careers.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The pentatonic aspect of Debussy’s piano music provided much inspirational fuel for later generations of jazz pianists.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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