harmony

American  

[hahr-muh-nee] / ˈhɑr mə ni /

noun

• harmonies
  plural

1. agreement; accord; harmonious relations.

   Synonyms:

   friendship, amity, peace, unity, concord

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

   Synonyms:

   consonance, consistency, correspondence, conformity

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.

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harmony British  

/ 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

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harmony Cultural  

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.

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Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonharmony
  noun
• preharmony
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• harmonies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of harmony

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”

Explanation

Harmony is the sound of things that go together well — people singing in harmony are in tune with each other. Best friends should be in harmony most of the time if they want to stay best buds! Harmony is a noun that describes an agreement, such as in feeling, sound, look, feel, or smell. It’s necessary for roommates to be able to live in harmony in a small space, or they’re in for a wake-up call. In music, harmony is a pleasing combination and progression of chords. If it makes you wince, it’s lacking harmony. Synonyms for harmony include accord, concord, cooperation, like-mindedness, and unanimity. Antonyms, on the other hand, range from clash and disagreement to discord.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

harmony harmonies

On no previous album had he focused so completely on starting with rhythm and harmony tracks and adding melodies and lyrics later.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Authorities in the multicultural country insist that this is necessary to preserve racial and social harmony.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

They sing in unison, both in tension and harmony.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Here’s how I learned to stop taking it personally — along with tips I’ve picked up for working in harmony with a manager you find annoying.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

Many cultures have their own styles of arrangement, but adding piano chords or vocal harmony particularly for Asian music, is not typical.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Their harmonies intertwine like two gulls in flight.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

But hallmarks of Mr. Glass’s writing are also present—arpeggiated figures, surging harmonies and relentless rhythms chief among them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

"I love that song musically, and there's a lot going on - a lot of harmonies - and literally in the car, I was like, turn that backing vocal up just one decibel," she says.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

“We Two,” with its close vocal harmonies; the texturally varied “Ripples in a Pond”; and “Never Know,” a bouncy, unabashed pop anthem, are among the most thoughtful, nuanced offerings here.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

I heard voices, among them my own, chanting harmonies in an ancient hall.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Related Words

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