harmony

noun

har·​mo·​ny ˈhär-mə-nē How to pronounce harmony (audio)
plural harmonies
1
a
: the combination of simultaneous musical notes in a chord
She taught him how to sing harmony.
b
: the structure of music with respect to the composition and progression of chords
a song with complicated harmonies and rhythms
c
: the science of the structure, relation, and progression of chords
2
a
: pleasing arrangement of parts : congruence
a painting exhibiting harmony of color and line
b
: agreement, accord
The standard we sanction today is in harmony with the most basictenets of our law.Heighs Implement Co. v. Missouri Hwy and Transp. Commn, 859 S.W.2d 681 (1993)
c
: internal calm : tranquility
a period of relative harmony
3
a
: an interweaving of different accounts into a single narrative
b
: a systematic arrangement of parallel literary passages (as of the Gospels) for the purpose of showing agreement or harmony
4
archaic : tuneful sound : melody

Examples of harmony in a Sentence

a song with complicated harmonies and rhythms her face had an angelic harmony that fascinated the leading painters of her day
Recent Examples on the Web Drummers, for example, traditionally have a much harder time getting credit for their contributions, because the cultural and legal framework for pop music values melody and harmony over rhythm. Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024 The chords and harmonies of Williams' music sound similar to the poppy anthems of that cinematic three-ring circus, and the choreography team of Ashley Wallen and Jenny Griffin reunite with Gracey to contextualize Williams' worldwide hits with new dance numbers. EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024 All five members contribute to the chorus, with Payne and Harry Styles coming through the strongest on harmonies. Thania Garcia, Variety, 17 Oct. 2024 Or none of these things might happen, because there is also another influence promoting feelings of goodwill and harmony with everyone. Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for harmony 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'harmony.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English armony, from Anglo-French armonie, from Latin harmonia, from Greek, joint, harmony, from harmos joint — more at arm

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler
The first known use of harmony was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near harmony

Cite this Entry

“Harmony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harmony. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

harmony

noun
har·​mo·​ny ˈhär-mə-nē How to pronounce harmony (audio)
plural harmonies
1
a
: the combination of musical notes played together as chords
b
: the structure of music with respect to the way it is written and to the way notes are grouped as chords
c
: the science of harmony
2
a
: pleasing or suitable arrangement of parts
b
: agreement sense 1b
lives in harmony with nature

More from Merriam-Webster on harmony

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!