polyphonic

American  

[pol-ee-fon-ik] / ˌpɒl iˈfɒn ɪk /

adjective

1. consisting of many voices or sounds.

2. Music.

   1. having two or more voices or parts, each with an independent melody, but all harmonizing; contrapuntal (opposed to homophonic).

   2. pertaining to music of this kind.

   3. capable of producing more than one tone at a time, as an organ or a harp.

3. Phonetics. having more than one phonetic value, as the letter s, that is voiced (z) in nose and unvoiced (s) in salt.

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polyphonic British  

/ ˌpɒlɪˈfɒnɪk /

adjective

1. music composed of relatively independent melodic lines or parts; contrapuntal

2. many-voiced

3. phonetics of, relating to, or denoting a polyphone

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Other Word Forms

• polyphonically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of polyphonic

First recorded in 1775–85; polyphone + -ic

Example Sentences

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

If you listen to the scene in its original language, it's a polyphonic effect.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2023

She worked on “The Rabbit Hutch” for around five years, finding a new and deeper connection to her material — a polyphonic portrait of low-income housing residents in Indiana.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 14, 2022

EYIBRA, a musician and vocalist in the piece, pulled from polyphonic ritual songs and contemporary experimental music to create a soundscape.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2022

He simply carried on where Dufay left off, thickening and embellishing the polyphonic choral style that you would have heard almost anywhere across Europe in the later fifteenth century.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall