discordance

American  

[dis-kawr-dns] / dɪsˈkɔr dns /

noun

1. a discordant state; disagreement; discord.

2. an instance of this.

3. dissonance.

4. Geology. lack of parallelism between adjacent strata, as in an angular unconformity.

5. (in genetic studies) the degree of dissimilarity in a pair of twins with respect to the presence or absence of a disease or trait.

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discordance British  

/ dɪsˈkɔːdəns /

noun

1. geology an arrangement of rock strata in which the older underlying ones dip at a different angle from the younger overlying ones; unconformity

2. lack of agreement or consonance

3. variants of discord

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Etymology

Origin of discordance

1300–50; Middle English < Anglo-French discordaunce, descordance; see discord, -ance

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

discordance

And that’s the discordance of our current crisis with what is in our constitutional tool kit.

From Slate ● Apr. 15, 2026

The idea that anyone, even Infiniti’s plucky proto-guerilla, is special in a perpetual war against oppression is a minor discordance in the script, along with a small character’s moral turn that’s a bit too convenient.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2025

Testing for apoB rather than LDL-C could identify people who are at high risk due to this discordance.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 8, 2024

The beginning of the band’s double-drummer period was one such key evolution, with Karl Burns and Paul Hanley crashing into and around one another with deftness and discordance.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 25, 2020

I pounded my unease into the keys, hoping the discordance would drive him away, but he held on.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

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