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perfect cadence

American  

noun

Music.

  1. a cadence in which the tonic chord has its root in both bass and soprano.

Etymology

Origin of perfect cadence

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The former is represented by the so-called Perfect cadence, the latter by the many grades of Semicadence.

From Lessons in Music Form A Manual of Analysis of All the Structural Factors and Designs Employed in Musical Composition by Goetschius, Percy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.