Standard Lemma guide

musician

noun · 3 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.

  • /mjuˈzɪʃən/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: M Y UW0 Z IH1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A composer, conductor, or performer of music; specifically, a person who sings and/or plays a musical instrument as a hobby, occupation, or profession.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Jenny is a talented musician, playing the cello, saxophone, piano and guitar.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

artist who composes or conducts music as a profession

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: artist, creative person

Narrower terms: arranger, adapter, transcriber, choirmaster, precentor, cantor, composer, conductor, music director, director, virtuoso, Herbert, Victor Herbert, Ono, Yoko Ono, Orff, Carl Orff

3

noun

Meaning 3

someone who plays a musical instrument (as a profession)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: instrumentalist, player

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: performer, performing artist

Narrower terms: accompanist, accompanyist, accordionist, bandsman, bassist, bassoonist, bell ringer, carillonneur, cellist, violoncellist, clarinetist, clarinettist, flutist, flautist, flute player, gambist, guitarist, guitar player, harmonizer, harmoniser, harpist, harper, harpsichordist, hornist, jazz musician, jazzman, keyboardist, koto player, lutist, lutanist, lutenist, oboist, organist, percussionist, pianist, piano player, piper, bagpiper, recorder player, rhythm and blues musician, rocker, rock 'n' roll musician, saxophonist, saxist, singer, vocalist, vocalizer, vocaliser, sitar player, soloist, trombonist, trombone player, trumpeter, cornetist, vibist, vibraphonist, violinist, fiddler, violist

History

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English musician, musicien, from Old French musicien (“musician”), equivalent to music + -ian.

Across languages

Translations

185 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: musikant — person who performs or writes music
  • Afrikaans: musikus — person who performs or writes music
  • Afrikaans: musici — person who performs or writes music
  • Albanian: muzikant — person who performs or writes music
  • Albanian: muzikante — person who performs or writes music
  • Southern Altai: музыкант (muzïkant) — person who performs or writes music
  • Southern Altai: кӱӱчи (küüči) — person who performs or writes music
  • Arabic: مُوسِيقِيّ (mūsīqiyy) — person who performs or writes music
  • Arabic: مُوسِيقِيَّة (mūsīqiyya) — person who performs or writes music
  • Armenian: երաժիշտ (eražišt) — person who performs or writes music
  • Asturian: músicu — person who performs or writes music
  • Azerbaijani: musiqiçi — person who performs or writes music
  • Basque: musikari — person who performs or writes music
  • Belarusian: музы́ка (muzýka) — person who performs or writes music
  • Belarusian: музыка́нт (muzykánt) — person who performs or writes music
  • Belarusian: музыка́нтка (muzykántka) — person who performs or writes music
  • Bengali: বাদক (badok) — person who performs or writes music
  • Breton: soner — person who performs or writes music
  • Breton: sonour — person who performs or writes music
  • Breton: muzisian — person who performs or writes music
  • Breton: muziker — person who performs or writes music
  • Bulgarian: музика́нт (muzikánt) — person who performs or writes music
  • Bulgarian: музика́нтка (muzikántka) — person who performs or writes music
  • Burmese: ဂီတသမား (gita.sa.ma:) — person who performs or writes music
  • Catalan: músic — person who performs or writes music
  • Chechen: музыкант (muzykant) — person who performs or writes music
  • Chinese Cantonese: 音樂家 /音乐家 (jam1 ngok6 gaa1) — person who performs or writes music
  • Chinese Mandarin: 音樂家 /音乐家 (yīnyuèjiā) — person who performs or writes music
  • Chukchi: эʼйӈэнэӈэткульын (ėʼjṇėnėṇėtkulʹyn) — person who performs or writes music
  • Cornish: ilewydh — person who performs or writes music
  • Cornish: ilewydhes — person who performs or writes music
  • Corsican: musicante — person who performs or writes music
  • Czech: hudebník — person who performs or writes music
  • Czech: hudebnice — person who performs or writes music
  • Czech: muzikant — person who performs or writes music
  • Czech: muzikantka — person who performs or writes music
  • Danish: musiker — person who performs or writes music
  • Dutch: muzikant — person who performs or writes music
  • Dutch: muzikante — person who performs or writes music
  • Dutch: musicus — person who performs or writes music
  • Esperanto: muzikisto — person who performs or writes music
  • Estonian: muusik — person who performs or writes music
  • Faroese: tónleikari — person who performs or writes music
  • Finnish: muusikko — person who performs or writes music
  • French: musicien — person who performs or writes music
  • French: musicienne — person who performs or writes music
  • West-Frisian: muzikus — person who performs or writes music
  • West-Frisian: muzikant — person who performs or writes music
  • West-Frisian: muzikante — person who performs or writes music
  • West-Frisian: muzykman — person who performs or writes music
  • Galician: músico — person who performs or writes music
  • Galician: música — person who performs or writes music
  • Georgian: მუსიკოსი (musiḳosi) — person who performs or writes music
  • German: Musiker — person who performs or writes music
  • German: Musikerin — person who performs or writes music
  • German: Musikant m Musikantin — person who performs or writes music
  • German: Tonkünstler — person who performs or writes music
  • German: Tonkünstlerin — person who performs or writes music
  • German: Musikus — person who performs or writes music
  • Greek: μουσικός (mousikós) — person who performs or writes music
  • Ancient Greek: μουσικός (mousikós) — person who performs or writes music
  • Greenlandic: nipilersortartoq — person who performs or writes music
  • Hebrew: מוּזִיקַאי (muzikái) — person who performs or writes music
  • Hindi: संगीतकार (saṅgītkār) — person who performs or writes music
  • Hindi: मूसीक़ार (mūsīqār) — person who performs or writes music
  • Hindi: मूसीकार (mūsīkār) — person who performs or writes music
  • Hindi: वादक (vādak) — person who performs or writes music
  • Hungarian: zenész — person who performs or writes music
  • Hungarian: muzsikus — person who performs or writes music
  • Icelandic: tónlistarmaður — person who performs or writes music
  • Indonesian: musikus — person who performs or writes music
  • Indonesian: pemusik — person who performs or writes music
  • Irish: ceoltóir — person who performs or writes music
  • Italian: musicista — person who performs or writes music
  • Italian: musico — person who performs or writes music
  • Japanese: 音楽家 (ongakuka) — person who performs or writes music
  • Japanese: 音楽家 (ongakka) — person who performs or writes music
  • Javanese: niyógo — person who performs or writes music
  • Kalmyk: көгҗмч (kögjmç) — person who performs or writes music
  • Kazakh: музыкант (muzykant) — person who performs or writes music
  • Khmer: អ្នកភ្លេង (nĕək phleing) — person who performs or writes music
  • Khmer: វាទកៈ (viətĕəʼkaʼ) — person who performs or writes music
  • Korean: 음악가 (eumakga) — person who performs or writes music
  • Kyrgyz: музыкант (muzıkant) — person who performs or writes music
  • Lao: ນັກດົນຕີ (nak don tī) — person who performs or writes music
  • Latin: mūsicus — person who performs or writes music
  • Latin: mūsica — person who performs or writes music
  • Latvian: mūziķis — person who performs or writes music
  • Latvian: mūziķe — person who performs or writes music
  • Latvian: muzikants — person who performs or writes music
  • Latvian: muzikante — person who performs or writes music
  • Ligurian: mûxicante — person who performs or writes music
  • Lithuanian: muzikas — person who performs or writes music
  • Lithuanian: musikė — person who performs or writes music
  • Lithuanian: muzikantas — person who performs or writes music
  • Lombard: musicista — person who performs or writes music
  • Luxembourgish: Museker — person who performs or writes music
  • Luxembourgish: Musekerin — person who performs or writes music
  • Macedonian: му́зичар (múzičar) — person who performs or writes music
  • Macedonian: музичарка (muzičarka) — person who performs or writes music
  • Malay: pemuzik — person who performs or writes music
  • Māori: kaiwhakatangi — person who performs or writes music
  • Māori: kaipuoro — person who performs or writes music
  • Māori: kiripuoro — person who performs or writes music
  • Marathi: संगीतकार (saṅgītkār) — person who performs or writes music
  • Middle English: musicien — person who performs or writes music
  • Middle English: musiker — person who performs or writes music
  • Middle English: synger — person who performs or writes music
  • Mongolian: хөгжимчин (xögžimčin) — person who performs or writes music
  • Mongolian: ᠬᠥᠭᠵᠢᠮᠴᠢᠨ (kögǰimčin) — person who performs or writes music
  • Tetelcingo-Nahuatl: mursi̱co — person who performs or writes music
  • Norman: musicien — person who performs or writes music
  • Norwegian Bokmål: musiker — person who performs or writes music
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: musikar — person who performs or writes music
  • Old English: dreāmere — person who performs or writes music
  • Pali: vādaka — person who performs or writes music
  • Iranian Persian: موسیقیدان (musiġi-dân) — person who performs or writes music
  • Iranian Persian: موزیسْیَن (muzisyan) — person who performs or writes music
  • Iranian Persian: موزیکان (muzikân) — person who performs or writes music
  • Iranian Persian: نَوازَنْدِه (navâzande) — person who performs or writes music
  • Iranian Persian: موزیکانْچی (muzikânči) — person who performs or writes music
  • Piedmontese: musicista — person who performs or writes music
  • Polabian: spelman — person who performs or writes music
  • Polish: muzyk — person who performs or writes music
  • Polish: muzyczka — person who performs or writes music
  • Portuguese: músico — person who performs or writes music
  • Portuguese: música — person who performs or writes music
  • Portuguese: musicista — person who performs or writes music
  • Romagnol: mușicânt — person who performs or writes music
  • Romanian: muzician — person who performs or writes music
  • Romanian: muziciană — person who performs or writes music
  • Russian: музыка́нт (muzykánt) — person who performs or writes music
  • Russian: музыка́нтка (muzykántka) — person who performs or writes music
  • Sanskrit: वादक (vādaka) — person who performs or writes music
  • Scots: muisicker — person who performs or writes music
  • Scots: muisician — person who performs or writes music
  • Scottish Gaelic: ceòladair — person who performs or writes music
  • Scottish Gaelic: neach-ciùil — person who performs or writes music
  • Serbo-Croatian: му̀зича̄р — person who performs or writes music
  • Serbo-Croatian: му̀зича̄рка — person who performs or writes music
  • Serbo-Croatian: гла̀збенӣк — person who performs or writes music
  • Serbo-Croatian: гла̀збеница — person who performs or writes music
  • Serbo-Croatian: mùzičār — person who performs or writes music
  • Serbo-Croatian: mùzičārka — person who performs or writes music
  • Serbo-Croatian: glàzbenīk — person who performs or writes music
  • Serbo-Croatian: glàzbenica — person who performs or writes music
  • Slovak: hudobník — person who performs or writes music
  • Slovak: hudobníčka — person who performs or writes music
  • Slovak: muzikant — person who performs or writes music
  • Slovak: muzikantka — person who performs or writes music
  • Slovene: glasbenik — person who performs or writes music
  • Slovene: glasbenica — person who performs or writes music
  • Sotho: sebini — person who performs or writes music
  • Spanish: músico — person who performs or writes music
  • Spanish: música — person who performs or writes music
  • Spanish: musicante — person who performs or writes music
  • Spanish: musicastro (despective) — person who performs or writes music
  • Spanish: saltimbanqui — person who performs or writes music
  • Sranan Tongo: pokuman — person who performs or writes music
  • Swahili: mwimbaji — person who performs or writes music
  • Swahili: mwanamuziki — person who performs or writes music
  • Swedish: musikant — person who performs or writes music
  • Swedish: musiker — person who performs or writes music
  • Tagalog: musiko — person who performs or writes music
  • Tajik: мусиқачӣ (musiqači) — person who performs or writes music
  • Tajik: навозанда (navozanda) — person who performs or writes music
  • Tajik: мусиқишинос (musiqišinos) — person who performs or writes music
  • Tajik: мусиқинавоз (musiqinavoz) — person who performs or writes music
  • Tarifit: amedyaz — person who performs or writes music
  • Thai: นักดนตรี (nák-don-dtrii) — person who performs or writes music
  • Turkish: müzisyen — person who performs or writes music
  • Turkmen: sazandar — person who performs or writes music
  • Turkmen: sazanda — person who performs or writes music
  • Ukrainian: музика́нт (muzykánt) — person who performs or writes music
  • Ukrainian: музика́нтка (muzykántka) — person who performs or writes music
  • Urdu: مُوسِیقار (mūsīqār) — person who performs or writes music
  • Uzbek: musiqachi — person who performs or writes music
  • Uzbek: muzikant — person who performs or writes music
  • Vietnamese: nhạc sĩ — person who performs or writes music
  • Volapük: musigan — person who performs or writes music
  • Welsh: cerddwr — person who performs or writes music
  • Yiddish: מוזיקער (muziker) — person who performs or writes music
  • Yiddish: מוזיקאַנט (muzikant) — person who performs or writes music
  • Yiddish: מוזיקאַנטקע (muzikantke) — person who performs or writes music
  • Yucatec Maya: páaxnáal — person who performs or writes music
Real reading context

musician in complete knowledge articles