contrapuntal
adjective
con·tra·pun·tal
ˌkän-trə-ˈpən-tᵊl 
1
2
: of, relating to, or marked by counterpoint
Examples of contrapuntal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The story’s romance is warmly inviting, and DiCaprio and Gladstone work beautifully together, their different performance styles — Ernest is physically demonstrative while Mollie is reserved — creating a contrapuntal whole.
—
Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2023
With its emphasis on virtuosity and advanced harmonies and contrapuntal rhythms, be-bop required the utmost skill and dedication.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Jan. 2024
The globe-hopping artist packed his already dense pictures with contrapuntal flourishes and sometimes incorporated diaristic text written in a tight, distinctive style.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023
This is actually the most interesting part of the exhibition: contrapuntal to nearly every other founder-designer in fashion history, Aghion wasn’t interested in becoming a brand name.
—Vanessa Friedman and Max Lakin, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2023
His ability to craft contrapuntal textures that mirror plot complexities is obvious and effective.
—Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2023
His 1932 Requiem for unaccompanied voices was not performed until 1980, but has since become one of his most programmed pieces in the U.S.
For someone who purportedly adored Tudor sacred music, Howells wrote surprisingly little to no contrapuntal imitation in his Requiem.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023
The opening Requiem aeternam begins in lush, pastel harmonies before developing more contrapuntal textures.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 16 Sep. 2023
What holds the movie together, for all its jittery syntax and rug-pulling midpoint twist, is the furiously combative, contrapuntal energy that courses between Silva and Firstman.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2023
Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2023
With its emphasis on virtuosity and advanced harmonies and contrapuntal rhythms, be-bop required the utmost skill and dedication.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Jan. 2024
The globe-hopping artist packed his already dense pictures with contrapuntal flourishes and sometimes incorporated diaristic text written in a tight, distinctive style.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023
This is actually the most interesting part of the exhibition: contrapuntal to nearly every other founder-designer in fashion history, Aghion wasn’t interested in becoming a brand name.
—Vanessa Friedman and Max Lakin, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2023
His ability to craft contrapuntal textures that mirror plot complexities is obvious and effective.
—Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2023
His 1932 Requiem for unaccompanied voices was not performed until 1980, but has since become one of his most programmed pieces in the U.S.
For someone who purportedly adored Tudor sacred music, Howells wrote surprisingly little to no contrapuntal imitation in his Requiem.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023
The opening Requiem aeternam begins in lush, pastel harmonies before developing more contrapuntal textures.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 16 Sep. 2023
What holds the movie together, for all its jittery syntax and rug-pulling midpoint twist, is the furiously combative, contrapuntal energy that courses between Silva and Firstman.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contrapuntal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near contrapuntal
Cite this Entry
“Contrapuntal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contrapuntal. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share