cadence

American  

[keyd-ns] / ˈkeɪd ns /

noun

cadences plural

1. rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words.

   the cadence of language.

2. (in free verse) a rhythmic pattern that is nonmetrically structured.

3. the beat, rate, or measure of any rhythmic movement.

   The chorus line danced in rapid cadence.

   Synonyms:

   meter, rhythm, pulse, tempo

4. the flow or rhythm of events, especially the pattern in which something is experienced.

   the frenetic cadence of modern life.

5. a slight falling in pitch of the voice in speaking or reading, as at the end of a declarative sentence.

6. the general modulation of the voice.

7. Music. a sequence of notes or chords that indicates the momentary or complete end of a composition, section, phrase, etc.

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verb (used with object)

cadenced, cadencing

1. to make rhythmical.

cadence British  

/ ˈkeɪdəns /

noun

1. the beat or measure of something rhythmic

2. a fall in the pitch of the voice, as at the end of a sentence

3. modulation of the voice; intonation

4. a rhythm or rhythmic construction in verse or prose; measure

5. the close of a musical phrase or section

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cadences
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cadence

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Italian cadenza cadenza

Explanation

The word cadence has its own lovely cadence — rhythm of sound as it's spoken. Cadence has come to mean "the rhythm of sounds" from its root cadere which means "to fall." Originally designating falling tones especially at the end of lines of music or poetry, cadence broadened to mean the rhythms of the tones and sometimes even the rhythm of sounds in general. Think of the cadence of the marching band at a football game or the cadence of the crickets on a warm spring night. You can remember the "fall" idea by thinking of one of the only words that contains it — decadence — which has the prefix de- at the front to mean down, or downfall.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cadence cadences cadenced cadencing

Vance’s efforts to seem hip come across as forced, as if he has never met a fellow millennial and can only approximate their lingo and cadence from reading old magazine reviews of movies like “Clueless.”

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026

"Accelerating our Moon mission ordering cadence and launch opportunities enable us to move quickly to learn, iterate, and improve."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

The analyst also drew attention to an ongoing “talent war” at SaaS companies, noting that Salesforce “has recently seen a steady cadence of senior departures to AI-native companies.”

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Spoken in a colloquial mix of English and Armenian, the recording became the introduction to “Canopies,” a song with the hushed, rocking cadence of a lullaby that Korkejian wrote from her grandmother’s perspective.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

In fact, I even appreciated its count, the clean cadence.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

While the bots are getting slightly better at mimicking human cadences, AI-generated writing still reeks of the sterile laboratory where it originates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026

It’s an idea that’s sitting there — they’re so polar opposites and they’re both such good actors that they’ve created characters with such specific quirks and body movement and cadences and things like that.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2025

He experiments with new tones and cadences; the beats bounce, the production is subdued, but innovative.

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2024

Minaj kept her loopy bars in the newer “FTCU” on a tight leash, yanking her cadences tightly for effect over the twirling beat.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 11, 2024

Some marched in formation, easily falling back into old cadences.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Their days are cadenced only by breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a few medical appointments and sporadic detention hearings.

From Seattle Times ● May 30, 2024

No matter how many times I brought it up, Epiphania always gave the same sad answer in her cadenced, Italian accent: "No, you can't buy it! The house is not on the market!"

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2022

The cadenced distribution of cotton bolls across the picture just over their heads evokes musical notes written on a staff.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2021

Screaming or loud talk does not have the same impact as a slow and measured and cadenced statement where each word sinks to a slightly lower octave.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 18, 2020

The Raleigh accent is soft and beautifully cadenced, but my brother's is a more complex hybrid, informed by his professional relationships with marble-mouthed, deep-country work crews and his abiding love of hard-core rap music.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

The six-four chord may be used at the close as the cadencing tonic six-four chord.

From A Treatise on Simple Counterpoint in Forty Lessons by Lehmann, Friedrich Johann

Steadily, lithely, and with never an error the rowers drove through the waves—steadily, and in exact time, their cry arose cadencing each stroke.

From The Prince of India — Volume 01 by Wallace, Lewis

The psychology of rhythm shows its basal value in cadencing the soul.

From Youth: Its Education, Regimen, and Hygiene by Hall, G. Stanley

The cadencing of a musical phrase in Hawaiian song was marked by a peculiarity all its own.

From Unwritten Literature of Hawaii The Sacred Songs of the Hula by Emerson, Nathaniel Bright

The fifth, when in the lowest voice, should be used as in two-part counterpoint, except when used in V43 or the cadencing tonic six-four chord.

From A Treatise on Simple Counterpoint in Forty Lessons by Lehmann, Friedrich Johann

Related Words

• accent
• inflection
• intonation
• lilt
• tempo