quartet

quartet — noun

1. a small performing group consisting of exactly four members, all playing instrum

1.nounB2
Definition

a small performing group consisting of exactly four members, all playing instruments or singing together as one unit

Example

The Juilliard String Quartet has been performing together for over seventy years.

proper noun as established group name

Ishaan and his three friends formed a jazz quartet for the school talent show.

Common collocations
  • string quartet
  • jazz quartet
  • vocal quartet
  • piano quartet
  • form a quartet
  • join a quartet
  • play in a quartet
  • quartet rehearses
  • quartet performs
  • quartet member
Synonyms
  • ensemble

    broader term for any group of performers, not limited to four

  • foursome

    less formal and rarely used for professional music groups; more common for casual settings

Antonyms
  • solo

    a single performer, contrast in group size

  • trio

    a group of three, the next smaller standard ensemble size

  • quintet

    a group of five, the next larger standard ensemble size

Usage Note

A modifier specifying the type of ensemble (string, jazz, vocal, piano) usually comes before the word when introducing the group for the first time. The modifier alone can disambiguate the instrumentation: a string quartet uses two violins, a viola, and a cello.

Common Mistakes

She plays in a quartet of musicians.
She plays in a quartet.
'quartet' already means a group of four; adding 'of musicians' is redundant.

2. a composition written so that four different instruments or singers each have th

2.nounB2
Definition

a composition written so that four different instruments or singers each have their own separate part to perform

Example

Beethoven's late string quartets are considered some of the greatest works in classical music.

composer's + [type] + quartets for a set of pieces

The quartet requires each musician to listen carefully to the other three parts.

Common collocations
  • string quartet (as a composition)
  • piano quartet
  • Beethoven quartet
  • Mozart quartet
  • compose a quartet
  • perform a quartet
  • record a quartet
  • quartet has four movements
  • late quartets
  • early quartets
Synonyms
  • composition

    a general term for any written musical work, regardless of performer count

  • chamber work

    a piece written for a small group of performers, often including quartets

Antonyms
  • solo

    a piece for a single instrument or voice, contrast in performer count

  • duet

    a piece for two performers, the next smaller chamber format

  • trio

    a piece for three performers

Usage Note

The same modifier—string quartet, piano quartet—can refer either to the performing group (sense 1) or to the piece (sense 2). Context disambiguates: 'The quartet played for an hour' → group; 'The quartet has three movements' → composition. When naming a specific work, the composer's name typically precedes the word: 'a Mozart quartet.'

Common Mistakes

I listened to a quartet.' (ambiguous whether group or piece is meant)
I listened to a Mozart quartet.
specifying the composer or type removes ambiguity.

3. any set or collection of four people, animals, or objects that are seen together

3.nounB2
Definition

any set or collection of four people, animals, or objects that are seen together as one unit

Example

A quartet of detectives worked together on the complex robbery case.

a quartet of + [people]

Four ancient statues stood in a quartet at the entrance of the museum.

Common collocations
  • a quartet of detectives
  • a quartet of novels
  • a quartet of statues
  • a quartet of friends
  • form a quartet
  • in a quartet
Synonyms
  • foursome

    more informal and used mainly for people in social or sports contexts

  • set

    broader term for any collection, not specifying a precise number

  • group

    general term for any number of people or things together

Antonyms
  • single

    one item, contrast in number

  • pair

    two items, contrast in number

Grammar Patterns

a quartet of + plural noun phrase

Usage Note

Unlike senses 1 and 2, this sense is not limited to music. It follows the pattern 'a quartet of + plural noun.' The word is most natural when the four items are seen as a deliberate or notable grouping.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

An 'ensemble' is the broadest term — it refers to any group of performers, whether two or twenty, and is often used in classical and theater contexts. A 'trio' is limited to exactly three players (e.g., a piano trio) and a 'quintet' to five, making 'quartet' the exact middle size among these chamber-music labels. 'Band' is more informal and typically describes popular-music groups (rock, jazz, marching) without a fixed number of members. In everyday use, 'quartet' stands out because it signals both the precise number of performers and a formal or classical performance setting: 'The Emerson String Quartet' sounds more refined than 'the Emerson String Band.'

ensemble ↗trio ↗quintetband ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • form a quartet
  • play in a quartet
  • quartet of + noun

Etymology

ItalianLatinEnglish

Quartet entered English in the mid-1700s from Italian 'quartetto,' a diminutive of 'quarto' (fourth), which itself came from Latin 'quartus' (fourth). The word was adopted along with Italian musical terminology that spread across Europe during the Baroque and Classical periods.