harmony

American  

[hahr-muh-nee] / ˈhɑr mə ni /

noun

• harmonies
  plural

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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Synonym Usage

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

Derived Forms

• nonharmony
  noun
• preharmony
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• harmonies
  plural

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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”

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Explanation

Harmony is the sound of things that go together well — people singing in harmony are in tune with each other. Best friends should be in harmony most of the time if they want to stay best buds! Harmony is a noun that describes an agreement, such as in feeling, sound, look, feel, or smell. It’s necessary for roommates to be able to live in harmony in a small space, or they’re in for a wake-up call. In music, harmony is a pleasing combination and progression of chords. If it makes you wince, it’s lacking harmony. Synonyms for harmony include accord, concord, cooperation, like-mindedness, and unanimity. Antonyms, on the other hand, range from clash and disagreement to discord.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

harmony harmonies

Without disclosing who he will vote for, the 47-year-old chainsaw operator praised the harmony between Catholics and evangelicals.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

Its creator, chef Harold Moore, who counts a Michelin star among his many honors, likens the harmony of his ingredients to another near-flawless dish: the Crunchy Supreme taco from Taco Bell.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

He was always solid and effortlessly executed these perfect yet almost imperceptibly complex rhythms while also singing harmony vocals.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026

The key to family harmony with either of these approaches is to maintain the person’s dignity as much as possible, said Kate Nattoli, a certified dementia practitioner with Crescent Grove Advisors.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

I thought about villages I’d heard of, where people lived in harmony with animals, as I was doing on the island, regarding them as good—and often ancestral—spirits.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Next level for R.E.M. is trying to sing the Mike Mills harmonies, and it’s not surprising that Narducy, the man who is the definition of an alt-rock journeyman, is spot on.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026

It avoids syncopation, letting the melodic line and its harmonies command full attention.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

But you can hear the heart in Haggard’s leathery vocals, buoyed by the sweet harmonies of his backing band.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

Birdsong all around the world, they say, is made up of combinations of these motifs - three types of trill, three types of whistle, chaotic notes and harmonies.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

I’m talking high notes, low notes, harmonies, solos.

From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds

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Related Words

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

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