What does "accompany" mean?
To go with or attend as a companion or associate; to keep company with; to go along with.
Accompany
/əˈkʌm.pə.ni/ verb
verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To go with or attend as a companion or associate; to keep company with; to go along with.
- Grammar: accompany is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: go with, a gentleman accompanies a friend to some public place, agree, asama.
- Useful contrasts: go alone, leave behind, standalone.
- Usage evidence: May we accompany you on your walk?
How to use "accompany"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "accompany" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "accompany" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "accompany" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "accompany" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "accompany" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "go with" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "accompany", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To go with or attend as a companion or associate; to keep company with; to go along with. transitive
"Geoffrey accompanied the group on their pilgrimage."
- 2 perform an accompaniment to wordnet
- 3 To supplement with; add to. transitive
"He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights, […], the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength—all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts."
- 4 go or travel along with wordnet
- 5 To perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition. intransitive
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 be present or associated with an event or entity wordnet
- 7 To perform an accompanying part next to (another instrument or musician). transitive
"The strings were accompanied by two woodwinds."
- 8 be a companion to somebody wordnet
- 9 To associate in a company; to keep company. intransitive, obsolete
"Men say that they will drive away one another, […] and not accompanied together."
- 10 To cohabit (with). intransitive, obsolete
- 11 To cohabit with; to coexist with; occur with. obsolete, transitive
"Gijb, Suche as accompanyeth with man-killers and murtherers."
- 12 To be found at the same time.
"Thunder almost always accompanies lightning during a rain storm."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"May we accompany you on your walk?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "accompany"?
Common synonyms include: go with, a gentleman accompanies a friend to some public place, agree, asama, assist, associate.
How do you use "accompany" in a sentence?
May we accompany you on your walk?
How do you pronounce "accompany"?
Pronounced /əˈkʌm.pə.ni/.
Etymology
* First attested in early 15th century. From Middle English accompanien, from Old French acompagner (“to associate with”), from compaing (“companion”), nominative singular of compaignon (“companion”). See company.