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Synonyms

symphony orchestra

American  

noun

  1. a large orchestra composed of wind, string, and percussion instruments and organized to perform symphonic compositions.


symphony orchestra British  

noun

  1. music an orchestra capable of performing symphonies, esp the large orchestra comprising strings, brass, woodwind, harp, and percussion

"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 symphony orchestra

First recorded in 1880–85

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.

That same year, Life magazine quoted an unnamed member of a symphony orchestra griping that Sinatra actually had the temerity to tell them what tempos he wanted his arrangements played in.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025

Phil into the world’s most successful and influential symphony orchestra.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025

The radical implication of Fleischmann’s once controversial ideal is of a symphony orchestra expanding into a broad community of musicians, something the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025

Next year, he will become the first Latin American to lead the New York Philharmonic, the oldest symphony orchestra in the US.

From BBC • Aug. 22, 2025

Sitting with my feet on the soiled canvas I felt as though I had wandered into the percussion section of a symphony orchestra.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

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