ensemble

[ ahn-sahm-buhl, -sahmb; French ahn-sahn-bluh ]
See synonyms for: ensembleensembles on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural en·sem·bles [ahn-sahm-sahm-buhlz, -sahmbz; French ahn-sahn-bluh]. /ɑnˈsɑmˈsɑm bəlz, -ˈsɑmbz; French ɑ̃ˈsɑ̃ blə/.
  1. all the parts of a thing taken together, so that each part is considered only in relation to the whole.

  2. the entire costume of an individual, especially when all the parts are in harmony: She was wearing a beautiful ensemble by one of the French designers.

  1. a set of furniture.

  2. Music.

    • the united performance of an entire group of singers, musicians, etc.

    • the group so performing: a string ensemble.

  3. a group of supporting entertainers, as actors, dancers, and singers, in a theatrical production.

Origin of ensemble

1
1740–50; <French: together <Latin insimul, equivalent to in-in-2 + simul together; see simultaneous

Other words for ensemble

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ensemble in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ensemble

ensemble

/ (ɒnˈsɒmbəl, French ɑ̃sɑ̃blə) /


noun
  1. all the parts of something considered together and in relation to the whole

  2. a person's complete costume; outfit

    • the cast of a play other than the principals; supporting players

    • (as modifier): an ensemble role

  1. music

    • a group of soloists singing or playing together

    • (as modifier): an ensemble passage

  2. music the degree of precision and unity exhibited by a group of instrumentalists or singers performing together: the ensemble of the strings is good

  3. the general or total effect of something made up of individual parts

  4. physics

    • a set of systems (such as a set of collections of atoms) that are identical in all respects apart from the motions of their constituents

    • a single system (such as a collection of atoms) in which the properties are determined by the statistical behaviour of its constituents

adverb
  1. all together or at once

adjective
  1. (of a film or play) involving several separate but often interrelated story lines: ensemble comedy drama

  2. involving no individual star but several actors whose roles are of equal importance: fine ensemble playing

Origin of ensemble

1
C15: from French: together, from Latin insimul, from in- ² + simul at the same time

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012