What does "music" mean?
A series of sounds organized in time, usually employing some combination of harmony, melody, rhythm, tempo, etc., often to convey a mood.
Music
/ˈmjuːzɪk/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A series of sounds organized in time, usually employing some combination of harmony, melody, rhythm, tempo, etc., often to convey a mood.
- Grammar: music is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: melody, apollo, apollo musagetes, arrangement.
- Useful contrasts: chants, libretto, musics.
- Usage evidence: It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.
How to use "music"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "music" 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 "music" 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 "music" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "music" 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 "music" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang 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 "melody" 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 "music", 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
Noun
- 1 A series of sounds organized in time, usually employing some combination of harmony, melody, rhythm, tempo, etc., often to convey a mood. uncountable, usually
"I keep listening to this music because it’s a masterpiece."
- 2 musical activity (singing or whistling etc.) wordnet
- 3 Any interesting or pleasing sounds. figuratively, uncountable, usually
"“Oh! this was very kind,” she said, with that simplicity and tenderness, which at times made her voice pure music, “I could not have expected you so soon.”"
- 4 punishment for one's actions wordnet
- 5 An art form, created by organizing pitch, rhythm, and sounds made using musical instruments and/or singing. uncountable, usually
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds wordnet
- 7 A guide to playing or singing a particular tune; sheet music. uncountable, usually
- 8 (music) the sounds produced by singers or musical instruments (or reproductions of such sounds) wordnet
- 9 Electronic signal jamming. slang, uncountable, usually
- 10 an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner wordnet
- 11 Heated argument. US, dated, slang, uncountable, usually
- 12 Fun; amusement. US, dated, slang, uncountable, usually
Verb
- 1 To seduce or entice with music. transitive
Adjective
- 1 Musical. rare
"Again, Moſes was the firſt that brought in ſacred Muſick: thus in like manner Strabo lib. 10. 453. informes us, that the Bacchick Muſick was famous throughout Aſia; and that many muſick Inſtruments had obteined a Barbarick name, as Jambla, Sambuke, Barbitos, Magades, &c. which ſeem all to be of Hebrew origination."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "music"?
Common synonyms include: melody, apollo, apollo musagetes, arrangement, babel, clamor.
How do you use "music" in a sentence?
It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.
How do you pronounce "music"?
Pronounced /ˈmjuːzɪk/.
Etymology
From Middle English musik, musike, borrowed from Anglo-Norman musik, musike, Old French musique, and their source Latin mūsica, from Ancient Greek μουσική (mousikḗ), from Ancient Greek Μοῦσα (Moûsa, “Muse”), an Ancient Greek deity of the arts. By surface analysis, muse + -ic (“pertaining to”). In this sense, displaced native Old English drēam (“music”), whence Modern English dream.