dissonance

American  

[dis-uh-nuhns] / ˈdɪs ə nəns /

noun

1. inharmonious or harsh sound; discord; cacophony.

2. Music.

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

   2. an unresolved, discordant chord or interval.

3. disagreement or incongruity.

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dissonance British  

/ ˈdɪsənəns /

noun

1. a discordant combination of sounds

2. lack of agreement or consistency

3. music

   1. 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

   2. an interval or chord of this kind

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Usage

What does dissonance mean? Dissonance is harsh, inharmonious noise—cacophony. It can also refer to stark disagreement or lack of consistency. In both cases, a close synonym is discord. In the context of music, the word dissonance is used in a specific way to refer to a combination of sounds thought to be inharmonious (often ones intentionally composed to be so). It can also refer to a chord or interval that features such disharmony. In music and in general, dissonance is the opposite of consonance, which means harmony, agreement, or accord. In psychology, the term cognitive dissonance refers to the unease a person feels when they have two or more contradictory or incompatible beliefs. An adjective form of dissonance is dissonant. Example: Leaders in both factions of the party promised harmony, but so far there has been nothing but dissonance and constant arguing.

Etymology

Origin of dissonance

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

Explanation

Disagreeable sounds can be called dissonance. You know it's dissonance if you have the strong desire to cover your ears with your hands. Racket, noise, dissonance — all can describe sounds that are not pleasant. While some musicians purposely add a little dissonance into their melodies to create an unexpected sound, others, like someone who just started drum lessons, creates dissonance by accident. Dissonance can also be a conflict between people or opinions, like the dissonance you feel when you want to do something but your parents say "no."

Example Sentences

Dissonance sometimes creeps into the chords, which are cushioned by a sense of wide open space that these players handle with nearly endless patience and sensitivity.

From New York Times • Dec. 10, 2015

This show commemorates the release of “Cognitive Dissonance: Part 2,” the followup to last year’s first installment, which was a worthy showcase for Simone’s ambition and universality.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 28, 2015

What's more, Lehrer republished the exact same erroneous information in "Cognitive Dissonance," published some five months later.

From Slate • Aug. 31, 2012

Then, in a biting but witty chapter called "Domestic Dissonance," he dramatizes how the character of public experience carries over into the home.

From Time Magazine Archive

NOTE: For activities that introduce these concepts to young students, please see Consonance and Dissonance Activitiesll .

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

• discord
• discrepancy
• disparity
• dissension
• incongruity