dissonance

American  

[dis-uh-nuhns] / ˈdɪs ə nəns /

noun

1. inharmonious or harsh sound; discord; cacophony.

2. Music.

   1. a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of unrest and needing completion.

   2. an unresolved, discordant chord or interval.

3. disagreement or incongruity.

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dissonance British  

/ ˈdɪsənəns /

noun

1. a discordant combination of sounds

2. lack of agreement or consistency

3. music

   1. a sensation commonly associated with all intervals of the second and seventh, all diminished and augmented intervals, and all chords based on these intervals Compare consonance

   2. an interval or chord of this kind

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Usage

What does dissonance mean? Dissonance is harsh, inharmonious noise—cacophony.It can also refer to stark disagreement or lack of consistency.In both cases, a close synonym is discord.In the context of music, the word dissonance is used in a specific way to refer to a combination of sounds thought to be inharmonious (often ones intentionally composed to be so). It can also refer to a chord or interval that features such disharmony.In music and in general, dissonance is the opposite of consonance, which means harmony, agreement, or accord.In psychology, the term cognitive dissonance refers to the unease a person feels when they have two or more contradictory or incompatible beliefs.An adjective form of dissonance is dissonant.Example: Leaders in both factions of the party promised harmony, but so far there has been nothing but dissonance and constant arguing.

Etymology

Origin of dissonance

1565–75; < Late Latin dissonantia, equivalent to disson- ( dissonant ) + -antia -ance

Example Sentences

At its most insightful, his book reveals a colossal dissonance between a person and a persona.

From The Wall Street Journal

It landed just as shoppers were loading up on boxed meals and non-perishable eats, a dissonance that feels almost poetic: a culture clinging to glamour even as the cupboards start to echo.

From Salon

The dissonance between the two keeps “Die My Love” unpredictable, but the film lives so long in that liminal state that its push-pull ultimately becomes one-note.

From Salon

The point is that they aren’t arcana that’s only known to the most devoted of Boss fans, so the dissonance between what the audience knows and what they’re being told will have an impact.

From Salon

On a recent trip, I realized that this complexity, even dissonance, makes Okinawa one of the most fascinating and unusual places to visit in Japan right now.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• discord
• discrepancy
• disparity
• dissension
• incongruity