Sousa

American

[soo-zuh, -suh] / ˈsu zə, -sə /

noun

John Philip, 1854–1932, U.S. band conductor and composer.

Sousa British

/ ˈsuːzə /

noun

John Philip. 1854–1932, US bandmaster and composer of military marches, such as The Stars and Stripes Forever (1897) and The Liberty Bell (1893)

"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

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 former Socialist Party leader is now set to succeed the conservative Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as president.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2026

John Philip Sousa and his band performed it at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

In his speech, delivered Aug. 27, de Sousa proclaimed what many fellow European leaders seem to think, and perhaps whisper in private, but can’t say out loud.

From Slate • Sep. 4, 2025

Army, but actually held in his own honor — at which there was no John Phillips Sousa, no red white and blue bunting and, worst of all, no adoring crowds.

From Salon • Jun. 22, 2025

A quartet of slick trombones played a Sousa march as the steamer Kennebec came in sight of the wharf.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt

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