consonance

[ kon-suh-nuhns ]

noun

1. accord or agreement.

   Synonyms: correspondence, harmony, concord

   Antonyms: dissonance

2. correspondence of sounds; harmony of sounds.
3. Music. a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of repose. Compare dissonance ( def 2 ).
4. Prosody.
   1. the correspondence of consonants, especially those at the end of a word, in a passage of prose or verse. Compare alliteration ( def 1 ).
   2. the use of the repetition of consonants or consonant patterns as a rhyming device.
5. Physics. the property of two sounds the frequencies of which have a ratio equal to a small whole number.

consonance

/ ˈkɒnsənəns /

noun

1. agreement, harmony, or accord
2. prosody similarity between consonants, but not between vowels, as between the s and t sounds in sweet silent thought Compare assonance
3. music
   1. an aesthetically pleasing sensation or perception associated with the interval of the octave, the perfect fourth and fifth, the major and minor third and sixth, and chords based on these intervals Compare dissonance
   2. an interval or chord producing this sensation

Other Words From

• non·conso·nance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of consonance¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin consonantia “concord,” from consonant- (stem of consonāns “sounding together”; consonant ) + -ia -y

Example Sentences

According to the Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras, 'consonance' -- a pleasant-sounding combination of notes -- is produced by special relationships between simple numbers such as 3 and 4.

From Science Daily

Eilish cautions against reading any song as autobiographical, but this song — about being widely seen yet deeply lost and misunderstood — has consonance.

From Los Angeles Times

But midway through, breakneck dissonant lines burst out; when consonance returns, it seems far more fragile.

From New York Times

Like many other European composers in his broad age group, by the late 1950s, ten Holt was incorporating serial procedures into his compositions, prioritizing dissonance over tonality and consonance.

From New York Times

Fujita’s playing, gossamer without sacrificing the sturdy consonance of Mozart’s style, has a prettiness all its own.

From New York Times

Related Words

• conformity