orchestral

O1R1C3H4E1S1T1R1A1L1
US/ˌɔɹˈkɛstɹəl/

adjective

Relating to an orchestra or to music played by an orchestra.

“orchestral music/piece/sound”

OriginProto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? ← English orchestra ← Latin orchēstra →
Less commonScrabble 15
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Meanings

adjectiveorchestral (not comparable)
  1. not comparableRelating to an orchestra or to music played by an orchestra.

    orchestral music/piece/sound

nounorchestral (plural orchestrals)

plural orchestrals

  1. uncommonAn orchestral performance.

    Classical composers like Alexander Reinagle, Rayner Taylor, and Susannah Haswell Rowson made their names in the 18th century, while the 19th century was given over to English opera, religious orchestrals, and gospel.

    2017, Karrie Gavin, Moon Philadelphia: Including Pennsylvania Dutch Country, →ISBN
    2 more examples

    The ABC would have top-billing for the orchestral concerts and Williamsons for the recitals; we would go for a three-guinea top for the orchestrals, at that time a record; the ABC would do the front of house and the banking; [...]

    1984, Charles Buttrose, Words and Music, page 62

    I also enjoy, still using music as an analogy, when Nature segues from quieter contemplative pieces featuring fog and overcast and rain to the full orchestrals of storms: booming tympani of thunder, cymbal crashes of lightning, full-brass of wind ...

    2011, Dorien Grey, Short Circuits: A Life in Blogs: - Book 1, →ISBN

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekὀρχέομαι (orkhéomai)
  2. Ancient Greekὀρχήστρα (orkhḗstra)
  3. Latinorchēstra
  4. Englishorchestra
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  7. Englishorchestral

From orchestra + -al.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan orquestral
  • orquestralrelating to an orchestra
Danish orkestral
  • orkestralrelating to an orchestra
Dutch orkestraal
  • orkestraalrelating to an orchestra
Finnish orkestraalinen
  • orkestraalinenrelating to an orchestra
French orchestral
  • orchestralrelating to an orchestra
Greek ορχηστρικός
  • ορχηστρικός (orchistrikós)relating to an orchestra
Italian orchestrale
  • orchestralerelating to an orchestra
Norwegian Bokmål orkestral
  • orkestralrelating to an orchestra
Norwegian Nynorsk orkestral
  • orkestralrelating to an orchestra
Polish orkiestralny, orkiestrowy
  • orkiestralnyrelating to an orchestra
  • orkiestrowyrelating to an orchestra
Portuguese orquestral
  • orquestralrelating to an orchestra
Romanian orchestral, de orchestră
  • orchestralrelating to an orchestra
  • de orchestrărelating to an orchestra
Russian оркестро́вый
  • оркестро́вый (orkestróvyj)relating to an orchestra
Spanish orquestal
  • orquestalrelating to an orchestra
Swedish orkestral
  • orkestralrelating to an orchestra
Cite this entry
APA

orchestral. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orchestral

MLA

“orchestral.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orchestral. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “orchestral,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orchestral.

Source: orchestral on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.