Fanfare: A Short Blast of Brass, or None at All
A fanfare is a brief showy tune played on brass to announce something. The word is used just as often in the negative: without fanfare.
A fanfare is a short, loud flourish, usually on trumpets, played to announce an arrival or an occasion. Because a fanfare is by definition attention-seeking, English most often reaches for the word to say the opposite — a law passed *without fanfare*, a product launched *with little fanfare*.
- A short showy tune on brass instruments. *A fanfare of trumpets.*
- A showy public display. *Launched with great fanfare.*
- Without fanfare — quietly. *The change was made without fanfare.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | fanfare | A brief fanfare. |
| Plural | fanfares | Royal fanfares. |
| Related | flourish | A flourish of trumpets. |
| Related | herald | Heralds announced him. |
| Phrase | with fanfare | Announced with fanfare. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The ceremony opened with a fanfare.The literal, musical sense.
- The report was published without fanfare on a Friday.The most common use of the word today.
- The launch came with more fanfare than substance.Fanfare as noise against value.
Famous fanfares
- Fanfare for the Common Man — Copland, 1942
- Olympic fanfares — written fresh for most games
- Royal fanfares — played by state trumpeters
- Film studio logos — nearly all open with one
- Reveille — a bugle call, related in spirit but not a fanfare
From French *fanfare*, probably imitative of the sound of trumpets, related to Spanish *fanfarrón*, a boaster. The idea of showing off is inside the word from the start.
Is a fanfare always music?
Not any more. It is often used for publicity: a launch can have fanfare with no instruments involved.
Fanfare or flourish?
A flourish is a decorative musical gesture; a fanfare is a short piece with a job to do, announcing something.