guitar

noun

gui·​tar gə-ˈtär How to pronounce guitar (audio)
gi-,
 especially Southern and Midland US also  ˈgi-ˌtär
: a flat-bodied stringed instrument with a long fretted neck and usually six strings played with a pick or with the fingers
guitarist
gə-ˈtär-ist How to pronounce guitar (audio)
gi-
noun

Illustration of guitar

Illustration of guitar
  • 1 electric
  • 2 acoustic

Examples of guitar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
While performing there, Rodriguez was noticed by the country singer and songwriter Tom T. Hall, who encouraged him to make a go for a country career in Nashville and later hired a 20-year-old Rodriguez to play lead guitar in his band, paving the way for a deal with Mercury Records. — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2025 Fender learned to play guitar and write songs as a teenager living paycheck to paycheck with a mom suffering from fibromyalgia. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025 And my character is more like an electronic musician who’s never touched a guitar. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 8 May 2025 Chatting from his home of 20 years in idyllic Bedford, New York, Thomas shared the story behind the name of his new album, his excitement about his son playing guitar on tour and his commitment to rescuing animals. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for guitar

Word History

Etymology

French guitare, from Spanish guitarra, from Arabic qītār, from Greek kithara cithara

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of guitar was in 1668

Phrases Containing guitar

Rhymes for guitar

See All Rhymes for guitar

Browse Nearby Words

guisquil
guitar
guitar-fiddle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Guitar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guitar. Accessed 15 May. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

guitar

noun
gui·​tar gə-ˈtär How to pronounce guitar (audio)
: a stringed instrument with a flat body, a long neck with frets, and usually six strings that are played with the fingers or with a pick
guitarist
-əst How to pronounce guitar (audio)
noun
Etymology

from French guitare "guitar," derived from Arabic qītār (same meaning)

More from Merriam-Webster on guitar

Nglish: Translation of guitar for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about guitar

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See More

Popular

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All