dissonance

[ dis-uh-nuhns ]
See synonyms for dissonance on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. inharmonious or harsh sound; discord; cacophony.

  2. Music.

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

    • an unresolved, discordant chord or interval.: Compare consonance (def. 3).

  1. disagreement or incongruity.

Origin of dissonance

1
1565–75; <Late Latin dissonantia, equivalent to disson- (see dissonant) + -antia-ance

Words Nearby dissonance

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How to use dissonance in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dissonance

dissonance

dissonancy

/ (ˈdɪsənəns) /


noun
  1. a discordant combination of sounds

  2. lack of agreement or consistency

  1. music

    • 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 (def. 3)

    • an interval or chord of this kind

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