polyphonic
Americanadjective
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consisting of many voices or sounds.
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Music.
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having two or more voices or parts, each with an independent melody, but all harmonizing; contrapuntal (opposed to homophonic).
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pertaining to music of this kind.
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capable of producing more than one tone at a time, as an organ or a harp.
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Phonetics. having more than one phonetic value, as the letter s, that is voiced (z) in nose and unvoiced (s) in salt.
adjective
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music composed of relatively independent melodic lines or parts; contrapuntal
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many-voiced
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phonetics of, relating to, or denoting a polyphone
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of polyphonic
Vocabulary lists containing polyphonic
Music - Middle School
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Music - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Beyond this solemn, reverent prologue, the show opens into expansive galleries, richly packed and drawing viewers deeper into Noguchi’s polyphonic universe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
The sophomore novel marked the arrival of an intuitive stylist gifted at polyphonic prose.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026
The film moves between the two in a sweeping, polyphonic narrative blending performances by professional and amateur actors, portraying a multifaceted Franco-African community refreshingly free from stereotypes.
From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026
Aside from being a hit, it was artistically groundbreaking: The music was daringly polyphonic.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2025
Music that is mostly homophonic can become temporarily polyphonic if an independent countermelody is added.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
