Standard Lemma guide

orchestrate

verb · 5 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.

  • UK: /ˈɔː(ɹ).kə.stɹeɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈɔɹ.kəstˌɹeɪt/
  • CMU ARPABET: AO1 R K IH0 S T R EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To arrange or score music for performance by an orchestra.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Sergio Leone orchestrated "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly".

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Orchestrated histories are not fact-based.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

plan and direct (a complex undertaking)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he masterminded the robbery

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mastermind, engineer, direct, organize, organise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: plan

Narrower terms: choreograph

5

verb

Meaning 5

write an orchestra score for

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: score

History

Etymology

From orchestra + -ate (verb-forming suffix). Compare French orchestrer.

Across languages

Translations

45 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: оркестрирам (orkestriram) — to arrange or score music for performance by an orchestra
  • Catalan: orquestrar — to arrange or score music for performance by an orchestra
  • Chinese Mandarin: 编管弦乐曲 — to arrange or score music for performance by an orchestra
  • Finnish: soitintaa — to arrange or score music for performance by an orchestra
  • French: orquestrer — to arrange or score music for performance by an orchestra
  • Greek: ενορχηστρώνω (enorchistróno) — to arrange or score music for performance by an orchestra
  • Italian: orchestrare — to arrange or score music for performance by an orchestra
  • Norwegian Bokmål: arrangere — to arrange or score music for performance by an orchestra
  • Portuguese: orquestrar — to arrange or score music for performance by an orchestra
  • Spanish: orquestar — to arrange or score music for performance by an orchestra
  • Swedish: orkestrera — to arrange or score music for performance by an orchestra
  • Swedish: arrangera — to arrange or score music for performance by an orchestra
  • Catalan: orquestrar — to compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance
  • Finnish: säveltää — to compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance
  • Finnish: sovittaa — to compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance
  • French: orchestrer — to compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance
  • German: orchestrieren — to compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance
  • Greek: ενορχηστρώνω (enorchistróno) — to compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance
  • Hungarian: hangszerel — to compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance
  • Italian: orchestrare — to compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance
  • Portuguese: orquestrar — to compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance
  • Russian: оркестрова́ть (orkestrovátʹ) — to compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance
  • Russian: инструментова́ть (instrumentovátʹ) — to compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance
  • Serbo-Croatian: orkestrirati — to compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance
  • Spanish: orquestar — to compose or arrange orchestral music for a dramatic performance
  • Bulgarian: аранжирам (aranžiram) — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Catalan: orquestrar — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Finnish: järjestää — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Finnish: organisoida — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • French: orchestrer — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • German: orchestrieren — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Greek: ενορχηστρώνω (enorchistróno) — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Italian: orchestrare — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Norwegian Bokmål: iscenesette — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Norwegian Bokmål: arrangere — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Polish: organizować — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Polish: zorganizować — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Portuguese: orquestrar — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Russian: организо́вывать (organizóvyvatʹ) — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Russian: организова́ть (organizovátʹ) — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Serbo-Croatian: aranžirati — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Serbo-Croatian: orkestrirati — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Spanish: orquestar — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Swedish: iscensätta — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect
  • Swedish: orkestrera — to arrange or direct diverse elements to achieve a desired effect