ensemble

C2+ Topic:Theater & Performance

US /ɑnˈsɑmbəl/ UK /ɒnˈsɒmbəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a group performing together, or a coordinated set of things

The chamber ensemble played a delicate Mozart quartet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a group performing... group company bandtroupecollection set whole

Opposites

soloist individual

Word family

Related forms assemble assembly

Etymology

Borrowed from French ensemble ('together'), from Late Latin insimul ('at the same time'), from Latin in ('in') + simul ('at the same time, together').

ensemble French insimul Latin simul Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Theater & Performance General Vocabulary

External links

# ensemble

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɑnˈsɑmbəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ɒnˈsɒmbəl/

## Meanings
1. a group performing together, or a coordinated set of things

## Examples
- The chamber ensemble played a delicate Mozart quartet.

## Synonyms
- group
- company
- band
- troupe
- collection
- set
- whole

## Antonyms
- soloist
- individual

## Related Forms
- assemble
- assembly

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ensemble
- Root: insimul
- Root: simul

## Etymology
Borrowed from French ensemble ('together'), from Late Latin insimul ('at the same time'), from Latin in ('in') + simul ('at the same time, together').

## AI Etymology
Ensemble is traced as follows: Borrowed from French ensemble ('together'), from Late Latin insimul ('at the same time'), from Latin in ('in') + simul ('at the same time, together'). Morphologically, the form is compositional, with the named elements combining to produce the modern spelling and sense. In present use, it is used as a noun meaning "a group performing together, or a coordinated set of things", so the historical material remains connected with the current sense rather than standing as bare ancestry. The wider English family includes related forms such as assemble and assembly, showing how the same historical material continues to organize neighboring vocabulary. The named historical forms include French ensemble, Latin insimul, and Latin simul, keeping the history tied to concrete forms rather than a loose resemblance. Its semantic neighborhood is marked by group, company, band, and troupe on one side and contrasts such as soloist and individual on the other, locating the modern specialization without adding a new origin story.

## Topics
- Theater & Performance
- General Vocabulary

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