ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ensemble

n. · v.
US //ɑnˈsɑmbəɫ// UK //ɒnsˈɒmbəl// en·sem·ble
  1. 1 a group of performers (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Music

    a group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together.

    a group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together as a unit rather than as soloists.

    Example

    The jazz ensemble played at the local club every Thursday night.

    Example

    The chamber ensemble received a standing ovation for their intricate interpretation of the modern string quartet.

    Usage

    Often used as a collective noun; can take a singular or plural verb in British English.
  2. 2 a matching outfit (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    a set of clothes that are worn together because they match or look good.

    a complete outfit or costume, especially one where the components are carefully coordinated.

    Example

    She wore an elegant silk ensemble to the wedding.

    Example

    The designer's spring collection featured a striking ensemble of linen trousers and a matching structured blazer.

    Teacher's tip

    In fashion contexts, this word sounds more sophisticated and formal than 'outfit'.
Show 4 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 a coordinated whole (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic

    a group of different parts that work together to make one complete thing.

    a group of separate elements that contribute to a coordinated whole.

    Example

    The old buildings and the new park create a beautiful ensemble.

    Example

    The architect viewed the city square as a single ensemble rather than a collection of individual structures.
  2. 4 statistical physics (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a large collection of possible states of a system used in science.

    an idealisation consisting of a large number of virtual copies of a system, considered all at once.

    Example

    The scientist used a grand canonical ensemble to model the gas particles.

    Example

    In statistical mechanics, the properties of the system are determined by averaging over the entire ensemble of possible microstates.

  3. 5 machine learning (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Computing

    a way for computers to learn by combining many different guesses to get a better answer.

    a supervised learning algorithm that combines multiple hypotheses to improve predictive performance.

    Example

    The ensemble model was much more accurate than any single algorithm.

    Example

    By using an ensemble of decision trees, the researchers significantly reduced the variance of their predictions.

  4. 6 to coordinate (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Formal Technical

    to put things together so they work as one group.

    to assemble or coordinate separate parts into a unified whole.

    Example

    The software helps to ensemble different data sets for analysis.

    Example

    The project aims to ensemble various climate models to produce a more reliable long-term forecast.
Origin

Borrowed from French ensemble.

© 2026 English Reference