ensemble

 
Pronunciation: /ɒnˈsɒmb(ə)l/

noun

  • 1a group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together: a Bulgarian folk ensemble
  • a piece of music or passage written for performance by a whole cast, choir, or group of instruments: Cherubini’s numbers, with solos and ensembles intermingled, have a freedom and originality
  • [mass noun] the coordination between performers executing an ensemble passage: a high level of tuning and ensemble is guaranteed
  • 2a group of items viewed as a whole rather than individually: the buildings in the square present a charming provincial ensemble
  • [usually in singular] a set of clothes chosen to harmonize when worn together: her elegant pink and black ensemble put most outfits in the shade
  • chiefly Physics a group of similar systems, or different states of the same system, often considered statistically: we would have to adopt a picture in which there is an ensemble of all possible universes with some probability distribution

Origin:

late Middle English (as an adverb (long rare) meaning 'at the same time'): from French, based on Latin insimul, from in- 'in' + simul 'at the same time'. The noun dates from the mid 18th century