Harmony

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /ˈhÉ‘rmÉ™ni/
• UK IPA: /ˈhɑːmÉ™ni/

Origin

First attested in 1602. From Middle English armonye, from Old French harmonie/armonie, from Latin harmonia, from Ancient Greek ἁρμονία (harmonia, "joint, union, agreement, concord of sounds").

Full definition of harmony

Noun

1. Agreement or accord.
• America's social harmony has depended at least to some degree on economic growth. It is easier to get along when everyone, more or less, is getting ahead. — Evan Thomas, Why It’s Time to Worry, Newsweek 2010-12-04
2. A pleasing combination of elements, or arrangement of sounds.
3. (music) The academic study of chords.
4. (music) Two or more notes played simultaneously to produce a chord.
5. (music) The relationship between two distinct musical pitches (musical pitches being frequencies of vibration which produce audible sound) played simultaneously.
6. A literary work which brings together or arranges systematically parallel passages of historians respecting the same events, and shows their agreement or consistency.a harmony of the Gospels

Related terms

• harmonic
• harmonics
• harmonious
• harmonize