consonance

noun

con·​so·​nance ˈkän(t)-s(ə-)nən(t)s 

1

: harmony or agreement among components

His beliefs are in consonance with the political party's views.

2

a

: correspondence or recurrence of sounds especially in words

specifically : recurrence or repetition of consonants especially at the end of stressed syllables without the similar correspondence of vowels (as in the final sounds of "stroke" and "luck")

b

: concord sense 1b

c

: sympathetic vibration, resonance

Synonyms

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

Examples of consonance in a Sentence

at present, the living room lacks consonance because all of the furniture is on one side

in good writing there is always consonance of thought and expression, as the use of simple words for simple thoughts

Recent Examples on the Web

The Summit for Democracy—the global gathering of democratic government leaders, civil society, and the business community—would be an obvious venue for the United States to work with allies on hostage diplomacy, given its threat to human rights and consonance with authoritarianism. —Danielle Gilbert, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2022

Dissonance dissolves into consonance, consonance is drowned in dissonance. —Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2024

The consonance between domestic order and foreign affairs proved difficult to sustain, however. —Charles King, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2021

The simile is novel and yet the sort of thing a young woman would think; there is assonance and consonance seesawing across the sentence, which is slow and gorgeous rather than quick and thrilling. —Joanna Biggs, Harper's Magazine, 10 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English consonance, consonaunce "fixed relationship, agreement," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French consonance "musical note, sound," borrowed from Latin consonantia "musical concord, harmony of sounds," noun derivative of consonant-, consonans "sounding in accord, agreeing, fitting" — more at consonant entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing consonance

• in consonance with

Kids Definition

consonance

noun

con·​so·​nance ˈkän(t)-s(ə-)nən(t)s 

: harmony or agreement especially of musical tones or speech sounds