seventh chord

noun

: a chord comprising a fundamental tone with its third, fifth, and seventh

Examples of seventh chord in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Once this heart-scouring chorale has floated home to G major, the strings trace a descending line that gradually outlines a dominant seventh chord: G–E–C-sharp–A. Matthew Aucoin, The Atlantic, 23 Nov. 2021 Wood taught him functional music theory, like how singer-songwriters depended so much on the major seventh chord, or what made the songs of, say, Dan Fogelberg or Elton John tick. Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2020 Such enharmonic transfers often are incorporated into dominant-seventh chords, among the more unstable harmonies in traditional tonal practice. BostonGlobe.com, 3 May 2018 An interesting approach to a tune that's kind of like a blues but with major seventh chords. Zach Schonfeld, Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2017

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

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of seventh chord was in 1866

Dictionary Entries Near seventh chord

Cite this Entry

“Seventh chord.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seventh%20chord. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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