accompany

verb

ac·​com·​pa·​ny ə-ˈkəmp-nē 

-ˈkämp-;

-ˈkəm-pə-,

-ˈkäm- 

accompanied; accompanying

transitive verb

1

: to go with as an associate or companion

She accompanied me to the store.

2

: to perform an accompaniment to or for

He will be accompanying her on the piano.

3

a

: to cause to be in association

accompanied their advice with a warning

b

: to be in association with

the pictures that accompany the text

intransitive verb

music : to perform an accompaniment

Synonyms

• attend
• chaperone
• chaperon
• companion
• company
• convoy
• escort
• see
• squire

Examples of accompany in a Sentence

She will accompany me to the store.

Ten adults accompanied the class on their field trip.

Children under 17 must be accompanied by an adult to see this movie.

A delicious sauce accompanied the grilled fish.

He will be accompanying her on the piano.

Recent Examples on the Web

Similar pronouncements accompanied Trump’s initial election in 2016, and Barack Obama’s sweeping victory eight years earlier. —Bruce J. Schulman / Made By History, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024

Among those who had a parent present at an in-person interview, 37% reported that their parent accompanied them to the office, while 26% said their parent physically sat in the interview room, introducing themselves and even answering questions during the meeting. —Jack Kelly, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

The report and the accompanying video—which features the accusers telling their stories in shadow—are all in Swedish, but according to an online translation, Djerf has been accused of bullying, favoritism, creating a toxic work environment, being fatphobic, and more. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 12 Dec. 2024

In 1980, long after the scandal had subsided, Blackwood’s old friend Francis Wyndham commissioned her to write the accompanying text to a planned portfolio of portraits of the elderly Simpson. —Negar Azimi, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English accompanien "to make (someone) a companion or associate, be in company with, attend," borrowed from Anglo-French acumpainer, acompaigner "to join together, frequent, keep the company of," from a-, prefix forming transitive verbs (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + cumpaing, cumpaignun companion entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

accompany

verb

ac·​com·​pa·​ny ə-ˈkəmp-(ə-)nē 

accompanied; accompanying

1

: to go with or attend as a companion

2

: to perform an accompaniment to or for

3

: to occur at the same time as or along with

a thunderstorm accompanied by high winds

Etymology

Middle English accompanien "to accompany," from early French acompaigner (same meaning), from a- "to" and cumpaing "companion," from Latin companio "companion" — related to companion, company