What does accompany mean?
To accompany is to go along with someone or something — whether walking beside a friend, travelling with a group, or existing side by side with another thing. The word carries a sense of companionship and support: a parent may accompany a child to school, a lawyer may accompany a client to a hearing, and thunder often accompanies a storm. In music, accompany takes on a specialised meaning: to play a supporting part beneath a melody, as when a pianist accompanies a vocalist. Derived from the Latin 'companionem', literally one who shares bread with another, the verb entered English in the fifteenth century and has since become indispensable across everyday speech, formal writing, and musical terminology. Its passive form, 'accompanied by', is particularly common in descriptive prose, signalling that one thing occurs in the company of another.
verbTo go somewhere with someone, or to exist or occur alongside something else. In music, to play an accompaniment for a singer or instrumentalist.
- To go somewhere together with someone as their escort or fellow traveller.
- To be present alongside or in association with something else.
- In music, to play a supporting part for a singer or lead performer.
"Her father accompanied her down the aisle."
"The children were accompanied by two teachers on the museum trip."
"Heavy rain accompanied the storm as it moved inland overnight."
Accompany and companion share the same Latin root — 'com-' (with) plus 'panis' (bread) — so your companions are literally the people you break bread with.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accompany
Accompany derives from the Late Latin 'companio', meaning one who eats bread with another, formed from 'com-' (together) and 'panis' (bread). This root also gave rise to the English words 'companion' and 'accompaniment'. The verb entered Middle English from Old French in the late medieval period, and its musical sense developed later as Western classical music formalised the role of the accompanist.
Related word forms
How accompany is actually used
Standard and neutral in register; used freely in both formal and informal contexts. The passive form 'accompanied by' is especially common in written English. When accompanying a singer musically, 'accompany ... on the piano/guitar' is idiomatic.
Easily confused with accompany
Accompaniment is the noun referring to music or something that supplements or goes along with something else, while accompany is the verb describing the act of going with or supporting.