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• harmonist
  harmonist

  noun

  a person skilled in harmony.
• Harmonist
  Harmonist

  noun

  a member of a celibate religious sect that emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1803.

harmonist

¹ American  

[hahr-muh-nist] / ˈhɑr mə nɪst /

noun

1. a person skilled in harmony.

2. a person who makes a harmony, as of the Gospels.

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Harmonist ² American  

[hahr-muh-nist] / ˈhɑr mə nɪst /

Or Harmonite

noun

1. a member of a celibate religious sect that emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1803.

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harmonist British  

/ ˈhɑːmənɪst /

noun

1. a person skilled in the art and techniques of harmony

2. a person who combines and collates parallel narratives

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Other Word Forms

• harmonistic
  adjective
• harmonistically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of harmonist¹

First recorded in 1560–70; harmon(y) + -ist

Origin of Harmonist²

1815–25; after Harmony, town in Pennsylvania; see -ist

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Explanation

A harmonist is someone who's very good at blending different voices or instruments into music that sounds pleasant. To be a successful composer, you have to be a great harmonist. Harmonists are skilled at harmonies, creating music from separate strands that go well together. Another kind of harmonist does a similar thing with literature or religious texts, interpreting different passages in a way that melds their meanings or finds agreement between them. Historically, Christian harmonists also brought harmony to the Bible by trying to arrange its parts in chronological order. The Greek root of harmonist is harmonia, "concord of sound."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

harmonist Harmonist

Mr. Jobim once called him “a great melodist, harmonist, king of rhythm, of syncopation, of swing” and “singular, without equal.”

From New York Times ● Dec. 23, 2023

Above all, Mr. Sondheim said, he is a harmonist whose songs are inspired by theatrical characters.

From New York Times ● Feb. 1, 2015

Throughout the vibrant Scherzo, the plaintive Adagio and the episodic and ultimately exuberant finale, Mr. Gilbert brought out musical resonances that linked Rachmaninoff as a harmonist to Debussy, Mahler and even early Schoenberg.

From New York Times ● Jan. 9, 2010

Why not come out plumply with the truth: Velasquez is the supreme harmonist in art.

From Promenades of an Impressionist by James Huneker

The explanation and reconciliation of these is the work of the harmonist.

From Companion to the Bible by E. P. (Elijah Porter) Barrows

New luxury French perfume house the Harmonist is touting that belief with a collection of 10 unisex fragrances by perfumer Guillaume Flavigny, inspired by the ancient Chinese principles of feng shui.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2016

Flavigny, the nose behind scents such as Balmain Ambre Gris and Black for Comme des Garçons, crafts the Harmonist fragrances from rare botanic oils and natural ingredients that are sustainably sourced from around the world.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2016

Over the course of the next three years Van Aken will graft varieties of fruit from the Harmonist community days for a total of 40 fruits.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 8, 2016

Huffman sent some of his letters to his brother-in-law, John Burns White, who was married to Huffman’s sister, Ellie, and was the business agent for the Harmonist Society in Beaver County.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 7, 2015

This was the simple explanation I received from a Harmonist, when I wondered whether some family or person would not be wasteful or greedy.

From The Communistic Societies of the United States From Personal Visit and Observation by Charles Nordhoff

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