ENGLISH
REFERENCE

musical

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈmjuzɪkəɫ// UK //mjˈuːzɪkəl// mu·si·cal General-service

n. a play or movie that uses singing and dancing to tell a story. You see these in theaters where the actors perform songs between the spoken parts.

n. a theatrical production or motion picture consisting of a dramatic narrative interspersed with songs and choreographed dance sequences.


SIMPLE

We are going to see a musical in the city tonight.

CONTEXTUAL

The high school drama club is rehearsing for their spring musical, which features several difficult dance numbers.

COMPLEX

While early examples of the genre were often lighthearted, the modern musical frequently tackles complex social themes through sophisticated lyrical composition and orchestral arrangements.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English musical, from Old French [Term?], from Medieval Latin mūsicālis, from Latin mūsica (“music”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives); equivalent to music + -al.

Usage

Commonly used with the verbs 'see', 'watch', or 'put on'.

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