accompaniment
B2Formal and Informal
Definition
Meaning
A musical part that supports or partners a main melody or soloist.
Something that naturally or incidentally accompanies or supplements something else.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a count noun (e.g., 'a piano accompaniment'). In its extended sense, often used with 'to' ('accompaniment to the main course').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Spelling aligns with '-ment' suffix in both.
Connotations
Identical. Both focus on musical support and supplementary items.
Frequency
Slightly more common in musical contexts, but frequency is similar.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to the accompaniment of [NP][NP] accompaniment to [NP]with/without (an/the) accompanimentVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to the accompaniment of (e.g., 'He spoke to the accompaniment of distant thunder.')”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might be used metaphorically ('The report's launch was to the accompaniment of positive media coverage').
Academic
Used in musicology and arts criticism. Can appear metaphorically in other fields ('social changes that are an accompaniment to economic growth').
Everyday
Most common in discussing music ('She sang with a guitar accompaniment') and food ('The wine was a perfect accompaniment to the cheese').
Technical
Primarily in music theory to denote specific supportive parts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The singer was accompanied by a full orchestra.
- A sharp headache accompanied his fever.
American English
- She accompanied him on piano during the performance.
- The policy was accompanied by significant public backlash.
adverb
British English
- N/A - There is no standard adverb form directly from 'accompaniment'. Use 'accompanyingly' is non-standard.
- N/A
adjective
British English
- The accompanying booklet explains the diagrams. (Note: 'accompanying' is the adjective form)
American English
- Please review the accompanying documents before the meeting. (Note: 'accompanying' is the adjective form)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She sang a song with piano accompaniment.
- French fries are a nice accompaniment to a burger.
- The violin solo was beautiful, and the orchestra's accompaniment was very supportive.
- He ate his steak with an accompaniment of grilled vegetables.
- The pianist provided a sensitive accompaniment, carefully balancing volume with the soloist.
- The rapid technological advancement occurred with little accompanying social planning.
- His lecture, delivered to the accompaniment of sporadic protests outside, remained impressively composed.
- The author argues that imperialism was not just conquest but an entire system of economic control with a cultural accompaniment.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: ACCOMPANY + MENT. The '-ment' turns the verb into the noun for the thing that does the accompanying.
Conceptual Metaphor
SUPPORT IS A FOUNDATION (The accompaniment underpins the main event).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'сопровождение' in non-musical contexts where 'escort' or 'support service' might be more accurate. In Russian, 'аккомпанемент' is a direct borrowing and used almost exclusively for music, whereas English 'accompaniment' has a wider metaphorical use.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'acompaniment' (missing a 'c'). Using 'accompaniment of' without 'the' when referring to a specific instance (e.g., 'He played accompaniment' vs. the more natural 'He played *the* accompaniment' or 'He accompanied').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'accompaniment' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while its primary and most specific use is musical, it is commonly used for anything that naturally goes with something else, especially food and drink.
They are often synonyms in non-musical contexts ('wine is a complement/accompaniment to cheese'). 'Accompaniment' strongly implies something secondary that goes along with the primary item. 'Complement' emphasizes that the secondary item completes or enhances the primary one.
Use 'to' for the thing being accompanied ('an accompaniment to the main dish'). Use 'of' after 'to the accompaniment of' for the accompanying thing itself ('dancing to the accompaniment of live music'). Use 'with' to describe something having an accompaniment ('served with a spicy accompaniment').
No, 'accompaniment' is exclusively a noun. The verb form is 'accompany'. The adjective form is 'accompanying'.