adjective
philharmonic
fihl-hah-MO-nihk
adjective
1
Devoted to or appreciative of music, especially orchestral music (used mainly in orchestra names).
"The philharmonic society raises funds to support young musicians."
noun
1
A full symphony orchestra, especially one named as such.
"We saw the New York Philharmonic perform Beethoven's Ninth."
How to Use Philharmonic
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsually seen as part of an orchestra's name, meaning a full symphony orchestra devoted to classical music.
Common pairings
the philharmonic orchestra
attend the philharmonic
Word Forms
philharmonics plural
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The _____ society raises funds to support young musicians.
Etymology
From French philharmonique, from Italian filarmonico, literally combining "phil-" (loving) with "harmonic."