concinnity

noun

con·​cin·​ni·​ty kən-ˈsi-nə-tē 

plural concinnities

: harmony or elegance of design especially of literary style in adaptation of parts to a whole or to each other

Did you know?

The Romans apparently found perfect harmony in a well-mixed drink. The cocktail in question was a beverage they called "cinnus," and so agreeably concordant did they find it that its name apparently inspired the formation of "concinnare," a verb meaning "to place fitly together." "Concinnare" gave rise to concinnus, meaning "skillfully put together," which in turn fermented into "concinnitas." English speakers added the word to our mix in the 1500s as "concinnity."

Synonyms

• balance
• coherence
• consonance
• consonancy
• harmony
• orchestration
• proportion
• symmetry
• symphony
• unity

Examples of concinnity in a Sentence

a choral work admired for its seamless concinnity of music and dance

Recent Examples on the Web

Novak was delighted by this concinnity, and even more delighted by the treatments on offer that day at the storefront franchise spa concept. —New York Times, 12 Oct. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Latin concinnitas, from concinnus skillfully put together

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined above

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