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military band

military band

2 3.3
A group of musicians who play brass, woodwind, and drums for the armed forces
  • noun
  • /ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri bænd/
translation icon : banda militar
  • The military band gathered at the square to entertain the crowd with patriotic songs.
  • American military band
  • U.S. military band
  • military band musicians

Examples

  • Every year, a military band plays during the national parade to honor veterans.

  • The military band plays a funeral march.

  • We're just trying to decide who should lead the military band.

  • A public school ensemble has a very different purpose from that of a professional orchestra or military band.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Although he completed numerous auditions during this time, he was especially interested in a position in a military band.

    Academic text (2015)
  • In the park kiosk, a military band struck up a march.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Moreover, some soldiers depart military bands and enter civilian life having attained outstanding musical and leadership skills.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Instead of recordings, the military band played both the Peruvian National Anthem and the Star-Spangled Banner.

    Blog text (28)
  • During the early nineteenth century, American military bands continued to center around the Harmoniemusik idea, with gradual introductions of brass instruments.

    Academic text (2015)
  • The military band performed beautifully at the Independence Day celebration.

Synonyms

marching band
vsmilitary band
30 3.1

A group of musicians who walk together and play instruments in parades or at sports events

serves formal state and ceremonial roles rather than mainly for parades and sports
concert band
vsmilitary band
1 3.5

A large group of musicians who play instruments like flutes, trumpets, and drums in concerts

supports state ceremonies and official duties rather than stage performances

Surface Forms

military band singular

Morphology

military + band

The meaning is directly compositional: 'military' specifies the affiliation of a 'band', so a learner who knows both words can infer a group of musicians linked to the armed forces. This modifier+noun pattern is common cross-linguistically (e.g. Spanish 'banda militar'), so a B1 learner would readily understand the phrase.

Etymology

The noun military band comes from soldiers, military, who form a band and play music together. These musicians marched with troops and played at parades and official events, so the phrase now means 'a group of musicians who belong to the military'.