Standard Lemma guide

musical

adj · noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈmju.zɪ.kəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M Y UW1 Z IH0 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, belonging or relating to music, or to its performance or notation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • musical proportion
  • musical instruments

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Pleasing to the ear; sounding agreeably; having the qualities of music; melodious; harmonious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She had a musical voice.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Fond of music; discriminating with regard to music; gifted or skilled in music.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • having a musical ear
  • The child is musical.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Pertaining to a class of games in which players move while music plays, but have to take a fixed position when it stops; by extension, any situation where people repeatedly change positions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A stage performance, show or film that involves singing, dancing and musical numbers performed by the cast as well as acting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A meeting or a party for a musical entertainment; a musicale.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: probably archaic or obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective

Meaning 7

containing or constituting or characterized by pleasing melody

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the melodious song of a meadowlark

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: melodious, melodic

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective

Meaning 8

characteristic of or resembling or accompanied by music

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a musical speaking voice
  • a musical comedy

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unmusical

9

adjective

Meaning 9

talented in or devoted to music

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • comes from a very musical family

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unmusical

10

adjective

Meaning 10

characterized by or capable of producing music

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a musical evening
  • musical instruments

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

a play or film whose action and dialogue is interspersed with singing and dancing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: musical comedy, musical theater

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: movie, film, picture, moving picture, moving-picture show, motion picture, motion-picture show, picture show, pic, flick, play

History

Etymology

From Middle English musical, from Old French [Term?], from Medieval Latin mūsicālis, from Latin mūsica (“music”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives); equivalent to music + -al.

Across languages

Translations

176 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: musikaal — of or relating to music
  • Albanian: muzikor — of or relating to music
  • Arabic: مُوسِيقِيّ (mūsīqiyy) — of or relating to music
  • Armenian: երաժշտական (eražštakan) — of or relating to music
  • Azerbaijani: musiqi — of or relating to music
  • Belarusian: музы́чны (muzýčny) — of or relating to music
  • Bulgarian: музика́лен (muzikálen) — of or relating to music
  • Burmese: ဂီတ (gita.) — of or relating to music
  • Catalan: musical — of or relating to music
  • Chinese Mandarin: 音樂的 /音乐的 (yīnyuè de) — of or relating to music
  • Czech: hudební — of or relating to music
  • Danish: musik- — of or relating to music
  • Dutch: muzikaal — of or relating to music
  • Dutch: muziek- — of or relating to music
  • Esperanto: muzika — of or relating to music
  • Estonian: muusika- — of or relating to music
  • Finnish: musiikki- — of or relating to music
  • Finnish: musiikillinen — of or relating to music
  • French: musical — of or relating to music
  • Galician: músico — of or relating to music
  • Georgian: მუსიკალური (musiḳaluri) — of or relating to music
  • Georgian: სამუსიკო (samusiḳo) — of or relating to music
  • German: musikalisch — of or relating to music
  • German: Musik- — of or relating to music
  • Greek: μουσικός (mousikós) — of or relating to music
  • Ancient Greek: μουσικός (mousikós) — of or relating to music
  • Hungarian: zenei — of or relating to music
  • Irish: ceolmhar — of or relating to music
  • Italian: musicale — of or relating to music
  • Japanese: ミュージカルの (myūjikaru no) — of or relating to music
  • Japanese: 音楽の (ongaku no) — of or relating to music
  • Kazakh: музыкалық (muzykalyq) — of or relating to music
  • Kazakh: музыка (muzyka) — of or relating to music
  • Khmer: តន្ត្រី (dɑɑntrəy) — of or relating to music
  • Khmer: ភ្លេង (phleing) — of or relating to music
  • Korean: 음악의 (eumag-ui) — of or relating to music
  • Kyrgyz: музыкалык (muzıkalık) — of or relating to music
  • Kyrgyz: музыкалуу (muzıkaluu) — of or relating to music
  • Kyrgyz: музыка (muzıka) — of or relating to music
  • Lao: ດົນຕີ (don tī) — of or relating to music
  • Lao: ເພງ (phēng) — of or relating to music
  • Latin: mūsicus — of or relating to music
  • Latin: mūsicālis — of or relating to music
  • Latvian: mūzikas — of or relating to music
  • Latvian: muzikāls — of or relating to music
  • Lithuanian: muzikinis — of or relating to music
  • Macedonian: музика́лен (muzikálen) — of or relating to music
  • Malay: muzikal — of or relating to music
  • Malay: muzik — of or relating to music
  • Malayalam: സംഗീത (saṅgīta) — of or relating to music
  • Maltese: mużikali — of or relating to music
  • Norwegian Bokmål: musikk- — of or relating to music
  • Occitan: musical — of or relating to music
  • Persian: موسیقایی (musiqâyi) — of or relating to music
  • Polish: muzyczny — of or relating to music
  • Portuguese: musical — of or relating to music
  • Romanian: muzical — of or relating to music
  • Russian: музыка́льный (muzykálʹnyj) — of or relating to music
  • Serbo-Croatian: гла̀збен — of or relating to music
  • Serbo-Croatian: му̏зика̄лан — of or relating to music
  • Serbo-Croatian: glàzben — of or relating to music
  • Serbo-Croatian: mȕzikālan — of or relating to music
  • Slovak: hudobný — of or relating to music
  • Slovene: glasben — of or relating to music
  • Slovene: muzikálen — of or relating to music
  • Upper Sorbian: hudźbny — of or relating to music
  • Spanish: musical — of or relating to music
  • Swedish: musik- — of or relating to music
  • Tajik: мусиқӣ (musiqi) — of or relating to music
  • Thai: ดนตรี (don-dtrii) — of or relating to music
  • Ukrainian: музи́чний (muzýčnyj) — of or relating to music
  • Uzbek: musiqiy — of or relating to music
  • Uzbek: musiqali — of or relating to music
  • Vietnamese: âm nhạc — of or relating to music
  • Afrikaans: musikaal — gifted or skilled in music
  • Bulgarian: музика́лен (muzikálen) — gifted or skilled in music
  • Esperanto: muzikema — gifted or skilled in music
  • Finnish: musikaalinen — gifted or skilled in music
  • French: musicien — gifted or skilled in music
  • French: musicienne — gifted or skilled in music
  • Georgian: მუსიკალური (musiḳaluri) — gifted or skilled in music
  • German: musikalisch — gifted or skilled in music
  • Greek: μουσικός (mousikós) — gifted or skilled in music
  • Ancient Greek: μουσικός (mousikós) — gifted or skilled in music
  • Japanese: 音楽的な (ongakuteki na) — gifted or skilled in music
  • Korean: 음악적 (eumakjeok) — gifted or skilled in music
  • Portuguese: musicista — gifted or skilled in music
  • Romanian: muzical — gifted or skilled in music
  • Russian: музыка́льный (muzykálʹnyj) — gifted or skilled in music
  • Upper Sorbian: muzikaliski — gifted or skilled in music
  • Upper Sorbian: muzikalny — gifted or skilled in music
  • Swedish: musikalisk — gifted or skilled in music
  • Swedish: musikbegåvad — gifted or skilled in music
  • Afrikaans: musikaal — pleasing to the ear
  • Belarusian: мелады́чны (mjeladýčny) — pleasing to the ear
  • Bulgarian: мелоди́чен (melodíčen) — pleasing to the ear
  • Esperanto: melodia — pleasing to the ear
  • Esperanto: orelplaĉa — pleasing to the ear
  • Esperanto: belsona — pleasing to the ear
  • Finnish: sointuva — pleasing to the ear
  • Finnish: melodinen — pleasing to the ear
  • Georgian: მელოდიური (melodiuri) — pleasing to the ear
  • Georgian: კეთილხმოვანი (ḳetilxmovani) — pleasing to the ear
  • Greek: μουσικός (mousikós) — pleasing to the ear
  • Latin: canōrus — pleasing to the ear
  • Portuguese: musical — pleasing to the ear
  • Portuguese: melodioso — pleasing to the ear
  • Portuguese: melódico — pleasing to the ear
  • Romanian: muzical — pleasing to the ear
  • Romanian: melodios — pleasing to the ear
  • Romanian: armonios — pleasing to the ear
  • Russian: мелоди́чный (melodíčnyj) — pleasing to the ear
  • Swedish: melodisk — pleasing to the ear
  • Swedish: välljudande — pleasing to the ear
  • Ukrainian: мелоді́йний (melodíjnyj) — pleasing to the ear
  • Ukrainian: мелоди́чний (melodýčnyj) — pleasing to the ear
  • Afrikaans: musiekblyspel — stage performance, show or film
  • Arabic: مَسْرَح مُوسِيقِيّ (masraḥ mūsīqiyy) — stage performance, show or film
  • Armenian: մյուզիքլ (myuzikʻl) — stage performance, show or film
  • Azerbaijani: müzikl — stage performance, show or film
  • Belarusian: мю́зікл (mjúzikl) — stage performance, show or film
  • Belarusian: м'ю́зыкал (mʺjúzykal) — stage performance, show or film
  • Bulgarian: мю́зикъл (mjúzikǎl) — stage performance, show or film
  • Chinese Mandarin: 歌舞片 (gēwǔpiàn) — stage performance, show or film
  • Chinese Mandarin: 音樂劇 /音乐剧 (yīnyuèjù) — stage performance, show or film
  • Cornish: gwari kan — stage performance, show or film
  • Czech: muzikál — stage performance, show or film
  • Danish: musical — stage performance, show or film
  • Danish: musikal — stage performance, show or film
  • Dutch: musical — stage performance, show or film
  • Esperanto: muzikalo — stage performance, show or film
  • Estonian: muusikal — stage performance, show or film
  • Finnish: musikaali — stage performance, show or film
  • French: comédie musicale — stage performance, show or film
  • Georgian: მიუზიკლი (miuziḳli) — stage performance, show or film
  • Georgian: მუსიკალური ფილმი (musiḳaluri pilmi) — stage performance, show or film
  • German: Musical — stage performance, show or film
  • Greek: μιούζικαλ (mioúzikal) — stage performance, show or film
  • Hebrew: מַחֲזֶמֶר (makhazémer) — stage performance, show or film
  • Hindi: म्यूज़िकल (myūzikal) — stage performance, show or film
  • Hungarian: musical — stage performance, show or film
  • Icelandic: söngleikur — stage performance, show or film
  • Irish: ceoldráma — stage performance, show or film
  • Japanese: ミュージカル (myūjikaru) — stage performance, show or film
  • Kazakh: мюзикл (müzikl) — stage performance, show or film
  • Korean: 뮤지컬 (myujikeol) — stage performance, show or film
  • Kyrgyz: мюзикл (myuzikl) — stage performance, show or film
  • Latvian: mūzikls — stage performance, show or film
  • Lithuanian: miuziklas — stage performance, show or film
  • Macedonian: мјузикл (mjuzikl) — stage performance, show or film
  • Malay: teater muzikal — stage performance, show or film
  • Norwegian Bokmål: musikal — stage performance, show or film
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: musikal — stage performance, show or film
  • Persian: تئاتر موزیکال (te'âtr-e muzikâl) — stage performance, show or film
  • Polish: musical — stage performance, show or film
  • Portuguese: musical — stage performance, show or film
  • Romanian: muzical — stage performance, show or film
  • Russian: мю́зикл (mjúzikl) — stage performance, show or film
  • Serbo-Croatian: мју̀зикл — stage performance, show or film
  • Serbo-Croatian: mjùzikl — stage performance, show or film
  • Slovak: muzikál — stage performance, show or film
  • Slovene: muzikal — stage performance, show or film
  • Slovene: mjuzikl — stage performance, show or film
  • Spanish: musical — stage performance, show or film
  • Swedish: musikal — stage performance, show or film
  • Swedish: musikalfilm — stage performance, show or film
  • Thai: ละครเพลง — stage performance, show or film
  • Thai: มิวสิคัล — stage performance, show or film
  • Turkish: müzikal — stage performance, show or film
  • Ukrainian: мю́зикл (mjúzykl) — stage performance, show or film
  • Ukrainian: м'ю́зикл (mʺjúzykl) — stage performance, show or film
  • Uzbek: myuzikl — stage performance, show or film
  • Vietnamese: nhạc kịch — stage performance, show or film
  • Welsh: sioe gerdd — stage performance, show or film
  • Yiddish: מיוזיקל (myuzikl) — stage performance, show or film
  • Yiddish: מוזיקאַלישער ספּעקטאַקל (muzikalisher spektakl) — stage performance, show or film
Real reading context

musical in complete knowledge articles