Meanings
plural accompaniments
- countableuncountableentertainmentA part, usually performed by instruments, that gives support or adds to the background in music, or adds for ornamentation; also, the harmony of a figured bass.
Brooks performed a saxophone solo on stage, with Robert as accompaniment on the bass.
Synonyms: comping
- countableuncountableThat which accompanies; something that attends as a circumstance, or which is added to give greater completeness to the principal thing, or by way of ornament, or for the sake of symmetry.
A side salad is a common accompaniment to a main dish.
3 more examples
forecasting torrential rain, with an accompaniment of crashing thunder.
Green sauce is the perfect accompaniment to baked fish.
My audience to this not-too-easy operation was a small group of Scottish school lasses, who seemed (perhaps naturally) to find the proceedings somewhat mysterious, but at any rate amusing. I wished they would go away, but they didn't, so I had to get on with the job to the accompaniment of a background of giggles!
1952 February, H. C. Casserley, “Permanent Wayfarings”, in Railway Magazine, page 77Synonyms: attachment, supplement, accessory, addition, add-on, adjunct, affix, annex
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA part, usually performed by instruments, that gives support or adds to the background in music, or adds for ornamentation; also, the harmony of a figured bass.
nounThat which accompanies; something that attends as a circumstance, or which is added to give greater completeness to the principal thing, or by way of ornament, or for the sake of symmetry.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan event or situation that happens at the same time as or in connection with another
nouna musical part (vocal or instrumental) that supports or provides background for other musical parts
nounthe act of accompanying someone or something in order to protect them
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frenchaccompagnement
- Englishaccompaniment
From French accompagnement; equivalent to accompany + -ment. First attested in 1744.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans begeleiding
- begeleidingmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
Arabic مُصَاحَبَة
- مُصَاحَبَة (muṣāḥaba)music: that which gives support or adds to the background
Bulgarian съпровод, съпровод
- съпровод (săprovod)music: that which gives support or adds to the background
- съпровод (săprovod)that which accompanies
Catalan segona, acompanyament
- segonamusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- acompanyamentmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- acompanyamentthat which accompanies
Chinese Mandarin 伴奏
- 伴奏 (bànzòu)music: that which gives support or adds to the background
Czech doprovod
- doprovodmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
Dutch begeleiding
- begeleidingmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
Esperanto akompanaĵo
- akompanaĵomusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
Finnish säestys, komppi
- säestysmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- komppimusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- lisukethat which accompanies
- seuralainenthat which accompanies
French accompagnement, accompagnement
- accompagnementmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- accompagnementthat which accompanies
German Begleitung, Begleitung
- Begleitungmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- Begleitungthat which accompanies
Hungarian kíséret, kísérőzene
- kíséretmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- kísérőzenemusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- kíséretthat which accompanies
- kísérőjelenségthat which accompanies
Irish tionlacan, tionlacan
- tionlacanmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- tionlacanthat which accompanies
Italian accompagnamento
- accompagnamentomusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
Japanese 伴奏
- 伴奏 (bansō)music: that which gives support or adds to the background
Korean 반주
- 반주 (banju)music: that which gives support or adds to the background
Polish akompaniament, akompaniament
- akompaniamentmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- akompaniamentthat which accompanies
Portuguese acompanhamento, acompanhamento
- acompanhamentomusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- acompanhamentothat which accompanies
Romanian acompaniament, acompaniament
- acompaniamentmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- acompaniamentthat which accompanies
Russian аккомпанеме́нт, сопровожде́ние
- аккомпанеме́нт (akkompanemént)music: that which gives support or adds to the background
- сопровожде́ние (soprovoždénije)music: that which gives support or adds to the background
- сопровожде́ние (soprovoždénije)that which accompanies
Spanish acompañamiento, acompañamiento
- acompañamientomusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- acompañamientothat which accompanies
Swedish ackompanjemang, komp
- ackompanjemangmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- kompmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- tillbehörthat which accompanies
Tagalog saliw, akompanyamyento
- saliwmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- akompanyamyentomusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
Turkish eşlik, eşlik
- eşlikmusic: that which gives support or adds to the background
- eşlikthat which accompanies
Ukrainian акомпанеме́нт, су́провід
- акомпанеме́нт (akompanemént)music: that which gives support or adds to the background
- су́провід (súprovid)music: that which gives support or adds to the background
Cite this entry
accompaniment. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accompaniment
“accompaniment.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accompaniment. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “accompaniment,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accompaniment.
Source: accompaniment on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.