What does cellist mean?
A musician who plays the cello, the large bowed string instrument held between the knees.
- A person who plays the cello.
"The cellist opened the recital with a haunting Bach suite."
"The young cellist won first prize at the international competition."
"As principal cellist of the orchestra, she led the string section with authority."
Regular plural formation.
"Two cellists joined the quartet for the finale."
The word 'cellist' is one of the few English nouns that can be spelled with a double-L or single-L — both are correct.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Related word forms
How cellist is actually used
Both 'cellist' and 'violoncellist' are accepted spellings, though 'cellist' is far more common in modern usage. The word is neutral in register and used in both formal music criticism and everyday speech.
Easily confused with cellist
A violinist plays the violin, a smaller and higher-pitched string instrument held under the chin, whereas a cellist plays the much larger cello seated between the knees.