harmony

[ hahr-muh-nee ]

noun

, plural har·mo·nies.

1. agreement; accord; harmonious relations.

   Synonyms: friendship, amity, peace, unity, concord

2. a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity.

   Synonyms: consistency, correspondence, conformity, consonance

3. Music.
   1. any simultaneous combination of tones.
   2. the simultaneous combination of tones, especially when blended into chords pleasing to the ear; chordal structure, as distinguished from melody and rhythm.
   3. the science of the structure, relations, and practical combination of chords.
4. an arrangement of the contents of the Gospels, either of all four or of the first three, designed to show their parallelism, mutual relations, and differences.

harmony

/ ˈhɑːmənɪ /

noun

1. agreement in action, opinion, feeling, etc; accord
2. order or congruity of parts to their whole or to one another
3. agreeable sounds
4. music
   1. any combination of notes sounded simultaneously
   2. the vertically represented structure of a piece of music Compare melody rhythm
   3. the art or science concerned with the structure and combinations of chords
5. a collation of the material of parallel narratives, esp of the four Gospels

harmony

1. The sounding of two or more musical notes at the same time in a way that is pleasant or desired. Harmony, melody, and rhythm are elements of music.

Other Words From

• non·harmo·ny noun plural nonharmonies
• pre·harmo·ny noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of harmony¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English armonye, from Middle French, from Latin harmonia, from Greek harmonía “joint, framework, agreement, harmony,” akin to hárma “chariot,” harmós “joint,” ararískein “to join together”

Word History and Origins

Origin of harmony¹

C14: from Latin harmonia concord of sounds, from Greek: harmony, from harmos a joint

Synonym Study

See symmetry. Harmony, melody in music suggest a combination of sounds from voices or musical instruments. Harmony is the blending of simultaneous sounds of different pitch or quality, making chords: harmony in part singing; harmony between violins and horns. Melody is the rhythmical combination of successive sounds of various pitch, making up the tune or air: a tuneful melody to accompany cheerful words.

Example Sentences

The official talk is of art and nature in harmony, but in truth, both the art and the landscaping are trying to outmuscle nature, rework it, master it.

From Washington Post

Ruffin is seeking that harmony of humor in truth-telling amid despair, but it's not always easy.

From Washington Post

That leaves this decision to the second husbands and wives — with the warning that, if they value family harmony, they will not adopt titles they have not earned.

From Washington Post

We’ve seen parts of the world where neighbors have lived with each other in harmony, but there is always the danger that this will break down.

From Nautilus

Our experiments showed that Americans found people who conform to protect others’ feelings or to maintain group harmony to be warmer, more competent, and more authentic.

From Vox

I had to play melody while simultaneously playing harmony with him.

From The Daily Beast

As a young baby, her mother would sing her lullabies and “get totally freaked out” when she started singing them back in harmony.

From The Daily Beast

Low-mass black holes “sing” in harmony with themselves, though with flashes of light instead of sound.

From The Daily Beast

Soon cover versions were recorded by acts like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Dope, and Rage Against the Machine.

From The Daily Beast

He wanted peace and harmony, and in this respect he was just another Roman ruler interested in imperial unity.

From The Daily Beast

They are so rich in harmony, so weird, so wild, that when you hear them you are like a sea-weed cast upon the bosom of the ocean.

From Project Gutenberg

Much later, in the case of all but gifted children, do the mysteries of harmony begin to take on definite form and meaning.

From Project Gutenberg

There was acute disharmony in the room, where a little time before there had been at least an outward show of harmony.

From Project Gutenberg

The little glimpse of domestic harmony which had been offered her, gave her no regret, no longing.

From Project Gutenberg

In harmony with a fundamental rule of law, a member who has once been acquitted cannot be tried again for the same offense.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• conformity
• consensus
• consistency
• cooperation
• friendship
• good will
• kinship
• peace
• rapport
• tranquility
• unanimity
• understanding
• unity