ensemble

See also: Ensemble

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French ensemble.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌɒ̃nˈsɒ̃m.bl̩/, /ˌɒ̃nˈsɒ̃m.blə/
• (UK, Anglicised) IPA^(key): /ˌɒnˈsɒm.bəl/
• (US, Anglicised) IPA^(key): /ˌɑnˈsɑm.bəl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

ensemble (plural ensembles)

1. A group of separate things that contribute to a coordinated whole.
   2. (fashion) A coordinated set of clothing: a set of garments selected to accompany one another.

      Synonym: outfit

      Near-synonyms: suit, costume, getup

   4. (collective) A group of musicians, dancers, actors, etc who perform together; e.g. the chorus of a ballet company.
      • 12 July 2012, Sam Adams, AV Club Ice Age: Continental Drift[1]

        On paper, Continental Drift boasts a jaw-dropping voice cast, including but not limited to Jennifer Lopez, Patrick Stewart, Wanda Sykes, Aziz Ansari, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Alan Tudyk. But in practice, the overstuffed ensemble leaves the cast no room to distinguish themselves, and directors Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier don’t seem interested in coaxing performances that might render their money stars less identifiable.

2. (Can we add an example for this sense?) (music) A piece for several instrumentalists or vocalists.
4. (mathematics, physics) A probability distribution for the state of the system.
6. (machine learning) A supervised learning algorithm combining multiple hypotheses.

Derived terms

• canonical ensemble
• chamber ensemble
• ensemble average
• ensemblist
• hyperensemble
• nonensemble
• string ensemble
• subensemble
• superensemble
• tout ensemble

Translations

group of separate things that contribute to a coordinated whole

• Azerbaijani: ansambl
• Bulgarian: анса́мбъл (bg) m (ansámbăl)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 全體 / 全体 (zh) (quántǐ) (entirety)

• Dutch: ensemble (nl) n
• Esperanto: ensemblo n
• Finnish: kokonaisuus (fi)
• French: ensemble (fr) m
• German: Ensemble (de) n
• Italian: insieme (it)
• Japanese: セット (ja) (setto)
• Portuguese: sistema (pt) m
• Romanian: ansamblu (ro) n
• Russian: анса́мбль (ru) m (ansámblʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: анса̀мбл m

  Latin: ansàmbl (sh) m

a coordinated costume or outfit; a suit

• Bulgarian: анса́мбъл (bg) m (ansámbăl)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 服装 (zh) (fúzhuāng)

• Dutch: ensemble (nl) n
• Finnish: asukokonaisuus
• German: Ensemble (de) n
• Portuguese: ensemble (pt) m
• Russian: анса́мбль (ru) m (ansámblʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Latin: ansàmbl (sh) m

• Spanish: conjunto (es) m
• Swedish: ensemble (sv) c

group of musicians, dancers etc. who perform together; the chorus of a ballet company

• Arabic: فِرْقَة f (firqa), جَوْق m (jawq)
• Armenian: համույթ (hy) (hamuytʻ)
• Azerbaijani: ansambl
• Belarusian: анса́мбль m (ansámblʹ)
• Bulgarian: анса́мбъл (bg) m (ansámbăl)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 合奏 (zh) (hézòu), 樂隊 / 乐队 (zh) (yuèduì), 集體 / 集体 (zh) (jítǐ) (group, team)

• Czech: ansámbl (cs)
• Dutch: ensemble (nl) n
• Finnish: yhtye (fi), ensemble (fi), kokoonpano (fi)
• French: ensemble (fr) m
• German: Ensemble (de) n
• Greenlandic: nipilersortut
• Hungarian: együttes (hu)
• Japanese: 合奏 (ja) (がっそう, gassō), アンサンブル (ja) (ansanburu), バンド (ja) (bando)
• Korean: 앙상블 (ko) (angsangbeul)
• Macedonian: анса́мбл m (ansámbl)
• Māori: tira, tira puoro (of musicians), rōpū kanikani (of dancers)
• Norman: ensemble m (Jersey)
• Polish: ansambl (pl) m, ensemble (pl) m
• Portuguese: ensemble (pt) m, conjunto (pt) m
• Russian: анса́мбль (ru) m (ansámblʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: анса̀мбл m

  Latin: ansàmbl (sh) m

• Slovene: ansambel m
• Spanish: elenco coral m (cast)
• Swedish: ensemble (sv) c
• Ukrainian: анса́мбль (uk) m (ansámblʹ)

piece for several instrumentalists or vocalists

• Azerbaijani: ansambl
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 合唱曲 (zh) (héchàngqǔ)

• German: Ensemble (de) n
• Indonesian: ensambel (id)
• Malay: ensembel
• Portuguese: ensemble (pt) m
• Russian: анса́мбль (ru) m (ansámblʹ), хор (ru) m (xor), (многоголо́сый вока́льный) но́мер (ru) m (nómer) (for several vocalists)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: анса̀мбл m

  Latin: ansàmbl (sh) m

• Swedish: ensemble (sv) c

mathematics: probability distribution for the state of the system

• Arabic: مَجْمُوعَة (ar) (majmūʕa)
• Dutch: ensemble (nl) n

Verb

ensemble (third-person singular simple present ensembles, present participle ensembling, simple past and past participle ensembled)

1. To put together in a coordinated whole.
   • 1908, Ohio State Board of Agriculture, Annual Report - Volume 62‎^[2], page 969:

     Landscape gardening or landscape architecture is the art that seeks the production of the most beautiful landscape effects, ensembling the various objects of interest into a grand whole and harmonious unit.

2. (music) To perform in a musical ensemble.
3. (machine learning) To employ a supervised learning algorithm combining multiple hypotheses.

Further reading

• ensemble on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French ensemble.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌɑnˈsɑm.blə/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: en‧sem‧ble

Noun

ensemble n (plural ensembles, diminutive ensembletje n)

1. ensemble
2. ensemble (group of musicians)
3. (theater) troupe

Derived terms

• ensemblemuziek
• theaterensemble

Descendants

• → Indonesian: ansambêl

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from French ensemble.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑnsɑː(m)bl/, [ˈɑ̝ns̠ɑ̝ː(m)bl]
• IPA^(key): /ˈɑ̃ˈsɑ̃ːbl/, [ˈɑ̝̃ˈs̠ɑ̝̃ːbl]
• Rhymes: -ɑnsɑː(m)bl

Noun

ensemble

1. ensemble (group of musicians, dancers, actors, etc who perform together)

Declension

Inflection of ensemble (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)
nominative		ensemble	ensemblet
genitive		ensemblen	ensemblejen
partitive		ensembleä	ensemblejä
illative		ensembleen	ensembleihin
		singular	plural
nominative		ensemble	ensemblet
accusative	nom.	ensemble	ensemblet
	gen.	ensemblen
genitive		ensemblen	ensemblejen ensemblein rare
partitive		ensembleä	ensemblejä
inessive		ensemblessä	ensembleissä
elative		ensemblestä	ensembleistä
illative		ensembleen	ensembleihin
adessive		ensemblellä	ensembleillä
ablative		ensembleltä	ensembleiltä
allative		ensemblelle	ensembleille
essive		ensemblenä	ensembleinä
translative		ensembleksi	ensembleiksi
abessive		ensemblettä	ensembleittä
instructive		—	ensemblein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of ensemble (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ensembleni ensembleni accusative nom. ensembleni ensembleni gen. ensembleni genitive ensembleni ensemblejeni ensembleini rare partitive ensembleäni ensemblejäni inessive ensemblessäni ensembleissäni elative ensemblestäni ensembleistäni illative ensembleeni ensembleihini adessive ensemblelläni ensembleilläni ablative ensembleltäni ensembleiltäni allative ensemblelleni ensembleilleni essive ensemblenäni ensembleinäni translative ensemblekseni ensembleikseni abessive ensemblettäni ensembleittäni instructive — — comitative — ensembleineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ensemblesi ensemblesi accusative nom. ensemblesi ensemblesi gen. ensemblesi genitive ensemblesi ensemblejesi ensembleisi rare partitive ensembleäsi ensemblejäsi inessive ensemblessäsi ensembleissäsi elative ensemblestäsi ensembleistäsi illative ensembleesi ensembleihisi adessive ensemblelläsi ensembleilläsi ablative ensembleltäsi ensembleiltäsi allative ensemblellesi ensembleillesi essive ensemblenäsi ensembleinäsi translative ensembleksesi ensembleiksesi abessive ensemblettäsi ensembleittäsi instructive — — comitative — ensembleinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ensemblemme ensemblemme accusative nom. ensemblemme ensemblemme gen. ensemblemme genitive ensemblemme ensemblejemme ensembleimme rare partitive ensembleämme ensemblejämme inessive ensemblessämme ensembleissämme elative ensemblestämme ensembleistämme illative ensembleemme ensembleihimme adessive ensemblellämme ensembleillämme ablative ensembleltämme ensembleiltämme allative ensemblellemme ensembleillemme essive ensemblenämme ensembleinämme translative ensembleksemme ensembleiksemme abessive ensemblettämme ensembleittämme instructive — — comitative — ensembleinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ensemblenne ensemblenne accusative nom. ensemblenne ensemblenne gen. ensemblenne genitive ensemblenne ensemblejenne ensembleinne rare partitive ensembleänne ensemblejänne inessive ensemblessänne ensembleissänne elative ensemblestänne ensembleistänne illative ensembleenne ensembleihinne adessive ensemblellänne ensembleillänne ablative ensembleltänne ensembleiltänne allative ensemblellenne ensembleillenne essive ensemblenänne ensembleinänne translative ensembleksenne ensembleiksenne abessive ensemblettänne ensembleittänne instructive — — comitative — ensembleinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative ensemblensä ensemblensä accusative nom. ensemblensä ensemblensä gen. ensemblensä genitive ensemblensä ensemblejensä ensembleinsä rare partitive ensembleään ensembleänsä ensemblejään ensemblejänsä inessive ensemblessään ensemblessänsä ensembleissään ensembleissänsä elative ensemblestään ensemblestänsä ensembleistään ensembleistänsä illative ensembleensä ensembleihinsä adessive ensemblellään ensemblellänsä ensembleillään ensembleillänsä ablative ensembleltään ensembleltänsä ensembleiltään ensembleiltänsä allative ensemblelleen ensemblellensä ensembleilleen ensembleillensä essive ensemblenään ensemblenänsä ensembleinään ensembleinänsä translative ensemblekseen ensembleksensä ensembleikseen ensembleiksensä abessive ensemblettään ensemblettänsä ensembleittään ensembleittänsä instructive — — comitative — ensembleineen ensembleinensä

Further reading

• “ensemble”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[3] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 14 May 2026

French

Etymology

From Old French ensemble, from Latin īnsimul, a variant of simul See also Italian insieme, Catalan ensems.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑ̃.sɑ̃bl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• (Louisiana) IPA^(key): [ɔ̃sɔ̃m]

• Audio (Canada (Shawinigan)):

  (file)

• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Grenoble)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Adverb

ensemble

1. together

   Synonym: en commun

   Antonyms: séparément, tout seul

   avoir élevé les cochons ensemble, avoir gardé les cochons ensemble ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   faire chaudière ensemble ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 2018, Zaz, Nos vies:

     Pour sûr que l'on est bien ensemble.

     We sure are good together.

Descendants

• Guianese Creole: ansanm
• Haitian Creole: ansanm

Noun

ensemble m (plural ensembles)

1. set, grouping, aggregate, collection, body (a coming together of elements forming a whole, a unified or interrelated group)

   dans l'ensemble ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   dans son ensemble ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   vue d'ensemble ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   La jurisprudence désigne l'ensemble des décisions de justice relatives à une question juridique donnée.

   Jurisprudence refers to all court decisions relating to a given legal issue.

   La langue d'oïl est considérée, selon la vision traditionnelle de la linguistique romane, comme une seule et même langue, qui correspond principalement à un ensemble de dialectes d'oïl répartis historiquement autour de Paris.

   The langue d'oïl is considered, according to the traditional vision of Romance linguistics, as one and the same language, which corresponds primarily to a collection of "oïl" dialects historically distributed around Paris.

2. outfit (a set of articles of clothing)
3. (mathematics) set

   la théorie des ensembles ― set theory

   l'ensemble vide ― the the empty set

4. (music) ensemble

Usage notes

When the subject of the verb is the collective noun ensemble followed by a predicate complement, the verb usually agrees with ensemble. In this case, the focus lies on the collective whole referred to by ensemble.

Though less common, it is not considered incorrect for the verb to agree with the grammatically plural predicate complement. In this case, the focus shifts to the individual elements of the collective whole. Plural agreement is more common with the indefinite article un modifying ensemble (i.e. un ensemble).

Derived terms

• grand ensemble
• ensembliste

Descendants

• → Danish: ensemble
• → Dutch: ensemble
• → English: ensemble
• → German: Ensemble
• → Hebrew: אנסמבל
• → Norwegian: ensemble
• → Portuguese: ensemble
• → Serbo-Croatian: ansambl
• → Slovak: ansámbel, ansámbl, ensemble
• → Spanish: ensemble
• → Swedish: ensemble
• → Turkish: ansambl

Further reading

• “ensemble”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from French ensemble, from Late Latin insimul.

Noun

ensemble n (definite singular ensemblet, indefinite plural ensembler, definite plural ensembla or ensemblene)

1. an ensemble

References

• “ensemble” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from French ensemble, from Late Latin insimul.

Noun

ensemble n (definite singular ensemblet, indefinite plural ensemble, definite plural ensembla)

1. an ensemble

References

• “ensemble” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old French

Alternative forms

• ansamble
• ensamble

Etymology

Inherited from Latin in simul.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /en.ˈsem.blə/, (later) /an.ˈsam.blə/

Adverb

ensemble

1. together

Descendants

• French: ensemble
  • → Dutch: ensemble
  • → English: ensemble
  • → German: Ensemble
  • → Norwegian: ensemble
  • → Portuguese: ensemble
  • → Spanish: ensemble
  • → Swedish: ensemble
• Norman: ensemblle (Guernsey), ensembl'ye (Jersey)
• Walloon: eshonne
• → Galician: ensembra (archaic)
• → Sicilian: nzèmmula

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French ensemble, from Latin īnsimul.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /anˈsambl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ambl
• Syllabification: en‧semble

Noun

ensemble m inan

1. (music, theater) alternative spelling of ansambl

Derived terms

adjective

• ensemblowy

Related terms

adjective

• ansamblowy

Further reading

• “ensemble”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[4] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “ensemble”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[5] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French ensemble.

Noun

ensemble m (plural ensembles)

1. ensemble (a coordinated costume or outfit)

   Synonym: conjunto

2. ensemble (a group of artists who perform together)

   Synonym: conjunto

3. (music) ensemble (a piece for several musicians)

   Synonym: conjunto

Further reading

• “ensemble”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “ensemble”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from French ensemble.

Noun

ensemble m (plural ensembles)

1. ensemble

Further reading

• “ensemble”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from French ensemble.

Noun

ensemble c

1. ensemble; a group of musicians, dancers etc who perform together; the chorus of a ballet company
2. (music) ensemble; a piece for several instrumentalists or vocalists
3. ensemble; a coordinated costume or outfit; a suite

Declension

Declension of ensemble

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	ensemble	ensembles
	definite	ensemblen	ensemblens
plural	indefinite	ensembler	ensemblers
	definite	ensemblerna	ensemblernas

References

• “ensemble”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “ensemble”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “ensemble”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)