quartets

Quartet refers to any group of four individuals or items. The term derives from the Latin quartus, meaning fourth, and is used across arts, science, and everyday language to denote a set of four related components.

In music, quartets are among the oldest and most common chamber ensembles. A standard string quartet consists of two violins, a viola, and a cello. The form also encompasses piano quartets, which add a piano to the string quartet, and vocal quartets, in which four singers perform together—ranging from barbershop and madrigal groups to modern choral arrangements. In jazz and popular music, quartets frequently operate as compact four-person units with varying instrumental configurations, adapting the ensemble to different repertoires and contexts.

Quartets appear outside classical performance as arrangements of four performers or four-part sections within a larger work. The term is used descriptively in literature, film, theater, education, and business to emphasize a four-part structure or a collaborative unit built around four roles or components.

In science and mathematics, quartet may describe a group of four related items or, in formal notation, a four-tuple. The usage is context dependent and serves as a general descriptor rather than a single technical definition.

Overall, quartets function as a versatile concept across disciplines, signifying both concrete ensembles and abstract groupings of four elements. They highlight how four-part collaboration or arrangement can produce cohesive, performative, or analytical outcomes.