orchestra

noun

(music) A large group of musicians who play together on various instruments, usually including some from strings, woodwind, brass and/or percussion; the instruments played by such a group.

The area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit, immediately in front of and below the stage, sometimes (also) used by other performers.

(Ancient Greece, theater) A semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient Greek and Hellenistic theatres.

Roots

orkhestraorchestra- · Greek · dancing space

Synonyms for orchestra

philharmonicn symphonyn woodwindsn ensemblen quartetn quintetn stringsn

Synonyms & related words for orchestra

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of orchestra — including philharmonic, symphony, woodwinds, ensemble, quartet, quintet. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to orchestra

Explore words related to orchestra — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include orchestral, sinfonietta, sinfonia, ripieno, concertmaster, concertante, concertino, symphonic. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for orchestra

Common synonyms for orchestra include philharmonic, symphony, woodwinds, ensemble, quartet, quintet, strings — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does orchestra come from?

The word orchestra breaks down into one root of Greek origin: the root orchestra-, from Greek orkhestra (“dancing space”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.