sonority

[ suh-nawr-i-tee, -nor- ]

noun

, plural so·nor·i·ties.

1. the condition or quality of being resonant or sonorous.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sonority¹

1515–25; < Medieval Latin sonōritās < Late Latin: melodiousness, equivalent to Latin sonōr ( us ) ( sonorous ) + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

Since the 1990s we’ve grown accustomed to hip-hop importing and metabolizing the sonorities and techniques of jazz.

From New York Times

But theirs was a daring venture at a time when most listeners preferred string quartets, with their even sonorities and vast repertory, for intimate chamber concerts.

From New York Times

The arresting analog engineering of the Royce Hall sessions are where you witness the marvelous Mehta Sound — where each sonority has a personality, even a kind of chutzpah.

From Los Angeles Times

On this short, vivid release, he is credited with compositions and sound design, with no mention of the bass per se, even though he still supplies plenty of low-pitched sonorities here.

From New York Times

In The Times of London, Fisher wrote that Hrusa’s conducting of “Lohengrin” “cannily distills the eeriest sonorities of the score, highlighting its bleak beauty.”

From New York Times

Related Words

• accent
• harmony
• melody
• music
• noise
• note
• tone
• vibration
• voice