What does accompaniment mean?
An accompaniment is a supporting element that accompanies and enhances a principal one. Its most familiar sense is musical: the piano, guitar, orchestra, or other part played beneath a singer or soloist to provide harmony, rhythm, and context. By extension, the word applies to anything that naturally pairs with something else — a sauce that is the perfect accompaniment to fish, or rain as a gloomy accompaniment to a walk home. The word carries a connotation of subordination and support: the accompaniment completes or enriches the main thing rather than standing at its center, which is why calling someone's contribution 'mere accompaniment' can sound faintly dismissive. It derives from the verb 'accompany', via French, from the Late Latin 'companio', meaning one who shares bread with another — making the word's core idea one of companionship. Common in both casual speech and formal musical writing, it is a precise, versatile term for anything that travels alongside something else.
nounA musical part played or sung to support or accompany a solo instrument, voice, or melody; more broadly, something that accompanies or goes along with something else to complete or enhance it.
- Music: a subordinate part performed alongside a principal melody or solo part to support it.
- Figurative/general: something that accompanies or is served alongside something else, such as food served with a dish or events occurring together.
"She sang the aria with a delicate piano accompaniment."
"The cellist performed Bach's suites without any accompaniment."
"A crisp green salad makes an ideal accompaniment to the roasted lamb."
Standard plural, used when referring to multiple accompanying parts or items.
"The menu offers a choice of several accompaniments for the grilled salmon."
The word 'accompaniment' hides an old French verb meaning 'to break bread together' — every time a pianist supports a singer, they're literally sharing a meal in etymology.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accompaniment
Accompaniment comes from the verb accompany, formed in Middle French from the Old French prefix 'a-' plus 'compaignon', meaning companion, itself from Late Latin 'companio', literally 'one who shares bread'. The noun took its '-ment' suffix, marking a result or means, and entered English usage around the early 17th century. Cognates sharing the same Latin root include 'company', 'companion', and the related notion of escort or convoy.
Related word forms
How accompaniment is actually used
Neutral register, common in both everyday and specialized (especially musical) contexts. In music, 'accompaniment' typically implies a secondary role supporting a lead performer, so describing a dominant instrumental line as mere accompaniment can carry a subtly diminishing connotation.
Easily confused with accompaniment
An accomplice is a person who helps another commit a crime, whereas an accompaniment is a supporting musical part or something that complements another thing.