symphony

[ sim-fuh-nee ]

/ ˈsɪm fə ni /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR symphony ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural sym·pho·nies.

Music.

an elaborate instrumental composition in three or more movements, similar in form to a sonata but written for an orchestra and usually of far grander proportions and more varied elements.
an instrumental passage occurring in a vocal composition, or between vocal movements in a composition.
an instrumental piece, often in several movements, forming the overture to an opera or the like.

symphony orchestra.

a concert performed by a symphony orchestra.

anything characterized by a harmonious combination of elements, especially an effective combination of colors.

harmony of sounds.

Archaic. agreement; concord.

Words nearby symphony

symphonic poem, symphonie fantastique, symphonious, symphonist, symphonize, symphony, symphony orchestra, symphysial, symphysion, symphysiotomy, symphysis

Origin of symphony

1250–1300; Middle English symfonye < Old French symphonie < Latin symphōnia concert < Greek symphōnía harmony. See sym-, -phony

OTHER WORDS FROM symphony

pre·sym·pho·ny, noun, plural pre·sym·pho·nies.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for symphony

If Japanese whisky is like a symphony, then I am a contented listener.
Watch Out, Scotland! Japanese Whisky Is on the Rise|Kayleigh Kulp|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Are you depressed, like me, that symphony orchestras are declaring bankruptcy, but Justin Bieber earned $58 million last year?
The Smartest Book About Our Digital Age Was Published in 1929|Ted Gioia|January 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Amid the symphony of symbols, President Barack Obama succeeded.
Obama In Israel: He Came, He Spoke, They Swooned|Gil Troy|March 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The son of a French horn player in a symphony orchestra, he began playing the piano “against my will,” he laughs, at age 3.
Shooting the Stars With Fashion Photographers Markus and Indrani|Abigail Pesta|November 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST

The Project exhibition commenced on July 4th coupled with a symphony performance in Austin, Texas where Trieb lives.
War Photographer Trains Her Lens on Military Suicide at Home|Allison Yarrow|September 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Since then, he has restored the Symphony to its old-time glory.
The World's Great Men of Music|Harriette Brower
And did he now sit himself down zealously and perseveringly to work on a ninth and tenth symphony?
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume II (of 3)|Alexander Wheelock Thayer
I imagine that he would have made a mouse-trap or built a cathedral exactly as he played a Beethoven symphony.
Old Scores and New Readings|John F. Runciman
He doesnt care a fig about the symphony or about the Eternal Goya.
The Shadow of Life|Anne Douglas Sedgwick
The grand piano was a splendid instrument, the symphony was well performed.
Resurrection|Leo Tolstoy

British Dictionary definitions for symphony

symphony

/ (ˈsɪmfənɪ) /

noun plural -nies

an extended large-scale orchestral composition, usually with several movements, at least one of which is in sonata form. The classical form of the symphony was fixed by Haydn and Mozart, but the innovations of subsequent composers have freed it entirely from classical constraints. It continues to be a vehicle for serious, large-scale orchestral music

a piece of instrumental music in up to three very short movements, used as an overture to or interlude in a baroque opera

any purely orchestral movement in a vocal work, such as a cantata or oratorio

short for symphony orchestra

(in musical theory, esp of classical Greece)

another word for consonance (def. 3) Compare diaphony (def. 2)
the interval of unison

anything distinguished by a harmonious compositionthe picture was a symphony of green

archaic harmony in general; concord

Derived forms of symphony

symphonic (sɪmˈfɒnɪk), adjectivesymphonically, adverb

Word Origin for symphony

C13: from Old French symphonie, from Latin symphōnia concord, concert, from Greek sumphōnia, from syn- + phōnē sound

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

Culture definitions for symphony

symphony

An extended musical composition for orchestra in several movements, typically four. Among the composers especially known for their symphonies are Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Franz Josef Haydn, Gustav Mahler, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

symphony

noun, plural sym·pho·nies.

Content related to symphony

Words related to symphony

Words nearby symphony

Origin of symphony

OTHER WORDS FROM symphony

Examples from the Web for symphony

British Dictionary definitions for symphony

noun plural -nies

Derived forms of symphony

Word Origin for symphony

Culture definitions for symphony