harmony

American  

[hahr-muh-nee] / ˈhɑr mə ni /

noun

plural

harmonies

1. agreement; accord; harmonious relations.

   Synonyms:

   friendship, amity, peace, unity, concord

2. a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity.

   Synonyms:

   consonance, consistency, correspondence, conformity

3. Music.

   1. any simultaneous combination of tones.

   2. the simultaneous combination of tones, especially when blended into chords pleasing to the ear; chordal structure, as distinguished from melody and rhythm.

   3. the science of the structure, relations, and practical combination of chords.

4. an arrangement of the contents of the Gospels, either of all four or of the first three, designed to show their parallelism, mutual relations, and differences.

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harmony British  

/ ˈhɑːmənɪ /

noun

1. agreement in action, opinion, feeling, etc; accord

2. order or congruity of parts to their whole or to one another

3. agreeable sounds

4. music

   1. any combination of notes sounded simultaneously

   2. the vertically represented structure of a piece of music Compare melody rhythm

   3. the art or science concerned with the structure and combinations of chords

5. a collation of the material of parallel narratives, esp of the four Gospels

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harmony Cultural  

1. The sounding of two or more musical notes at the same time in a way that is pleasant or desired. Harmony, melody, and rhythm are elements of music.

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Related Words

See symmetry. Harmony, melody in music suggest a combination of sounds from voices or musical instruments. Harmony is the blending of simultaneous sounds of different pitch or quality, making chords: harmony in part singing; harmony between violins and horns. Melody is the rhythmical combination of successive sounds of various pitch, making up the tune or air: a tuneful melody to accompany cheerful words.

Other Word Forms

• nonharmony noun
• preharmony noun

Etymology

Origin of harmony

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English armonye, from Middle French, from Latin harmonia, from Greek harmonía “joint, framework, agreement, harmony,” akin to hárma “chariot,” harmós “joint,” ararískein “to join together”

Example Sentences

She imagines melody, rhythm, harmony and form as little creatures whom we follow on their journey through the piece.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

But it was “striking” that so many male contemporaries “saw them as disruptors of family harmony and alienators of women from their husbands.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The government has argued that rules on demonstrations are necessary to maintain peace and harmony in the tiny country.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Yesterday’s north star of global financial harmony has yielded to today’s realpolitik.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

Rejecting traditional religion’s emphasis on sin and punishment, Modern Spiritualism was rooted in personal happiness on earth and in the heaven of Summerland, as well as a desire for world harmony.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• conformity
• consensus
• consistency
• cooperation
• friendship
• good will
• kinship
• peace
• rapport
• tranquility
• unanimity
• understanding
• unity