pianist

noun

pi·​a·​nist pē-ˈa-nist How to pronounce pianist (audio) ˈpē-ə- How to pronounce pianist (audio)
Synonyms of pianistnext
: a person who plays the piano
especially : a skilled or professional performer on the piano

Examples of pianist in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Yiyun Li’s novel follows real-life 18th century pianist John Field, whose prodigious talent costs him his childhood, and Adelaide Percheron, an orphan denied a public life by her gender and station. — Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 In Yiyun Li’s new historical novel, two pianists on opposite sides of the world are brought inexorably together, by music. — Radhika Jones, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2026 One pianist out of 12 will be selected by the Miami audience and sent to the finals at the Busoni Competition. — Mike Hamersly, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026 Seydoux plays Lucy, an experimental pianist who moves with her beloved but panic attack-liable husband Philip (Laurence Rupp) and young son to a rural farmhouse in Bavaria. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pianist

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pianist was in 1817

Rhymes for pianist

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Browse Nearby Words

pianissimo
pianist
pianiste
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pianist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pianist. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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