musical

1 of 2

adjective

mu·​si·​cal ˈmyü-zi-kəl How to pronounce musical (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to music
b
: having the pleasing harmonious qualities of music : melodious
2
: having an interest in or talent for music
3
: set to or accompanied by music
4
: of or relating to musicians or music lovers
musically adverb

musical

2 of 2

noun

1
archaic : musicale
2
: a film or theatrical production typically of a sentimental or humorous nature that consists of musical numbers and dialogue based on a unifying plot

Examples of musical in a Sentence

Adjective She has a very musical voice. the musical sounds of the babbling brook
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Grammy-award winning inspirational singer Lauren Daigle is coming to the AMP Aug. 14 on her Kaleidoscope Tour with with musical guest Blessing Offor. Monica Hooper, arkansasonline.com, 4 Mar. 2024 With a compelling story of moving to the U.S. to pursue his musical dreams and forgoing seeing his family for six years, the judges wanted to give the 25-year-old server a second, then a third chance to blow them away. Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Gordon’s first musical project after that dissolution was Body/Head, her experimental duo with guitarist Bill Nace. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2024 He’s been making history, creating some of the biggest musical moments of the last 30 years. Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024 The Los Angeles installment includes two days of musical programming curated by Höller and Drake. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Mar. 2024 Gaither’s library of musical series and specials will be catnip to the Up audience, Humbard predicted. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 No musical figure has, arguably, done more to popularize a religion than Marley. John Blake, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 For her third time as musical guest on the sketch comedy show, Musgraves, 35, took the stage to perform two tracks from her upcoming sixth studio album Deeper Well. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024
Noun
An adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the 2004 film, Tina Fey’s latest rendition of the high school comedy surpassed $100 million at the global box office after six weeks of release. Caroline Brew, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 Felder said the concert will include show tunes from Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals and songs by Elvis Presley and Ella Fitzgerald. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2024 Promising costume designers are exposed to a variety of genres and related fields, such as film, television, classic plays, opera, musicals and dance. Cathy Whitlock, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2024 Wicked is beloved among the theater community and one of the most successful musicals ever to hit the Great White Way, so any changes are sure to inspire conversation. Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 12 Feb. 2024 Garden Grove owns the Gem Theater, where One More Productions produces musicals and holds educational workshops. Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 4 Feb. 2024 From a new musical based on a classic ’80s movie to a tribute to Paul Robeson in Oakland and San Jose Jazz’s Winter Fest concert series, there is a lot to see and do in the Bay Area this week. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2024 It’s been 15 years since Broadway and film icon Idina Menzel came up with the idea to develop a musical about a woman living alone in a California redwood tree. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2024 The musical has a history of starring adult actresses in the title role — Martin, Sandy Duncan, Cathy Rigby — but Price didn’t want to go that route. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'musical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Medieval Latin musicalis, from musica

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of musical was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near musical

Cite this Entry

“Musical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/musical. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

musical

1 of 2 adjective
mu·​si·​cal ˈmyü-zi-kəl How to pronounce musical (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to music or the writing or performance of music
musical instruments
b
: having the pleasing harmonious qualities of music
a musical voice
2
: fond of or gifted in music
a musical family
3
: set to or accompanied by music
musically adverb

musical

2 of 2 noun
: a film or play that tells a story and that includes both musical numbers and dialogue

More from Merriam-Webster on musical

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