dissonance

noun

dis·​so·​nance ˈdi-sə-nən(t)s 

1

a

: lack of agreement

the dissonance between the truth and what people want to believe

especially : inconsistency between the beliefs one holds or between one's actions and one's beliefs compare cognitive dissonance

b

: an instance of such inconsistency or disagreement

the mingling of bitter comedy and stark tragedy produces sharp dissonances

—F. B. Millett

2

: a mingling of sounds that strike the ear harshly : a mingling of discordant sounds

especially, music : a clashing or unresolved musical interval or chord

Synonyms

• discord
• friction
• discordance
• strife
• conflict
• discordancy
• dissention
• war
• schism
• warfare
• dissent

Examples of dissonance in a Sentence

the dissonance between what we are told and what we see with our own eyes

Recent Examples on the Web

Facts are easy to gloss over and dismiss due to cognitive bias or dissonance. —John Hall, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025

And yet, that dissonance stirred again: this was ancestral land, yes, but whose ancestors had labored here, and whose still held the deed? —Essence, 22 July 2025

Despite these developments, however, dissonance has remained prevalent in their relationship as the Kremlin's attention increasingly turned to Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. —Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025

Only the first and last chords in the sequence are solid triads, the rest tinged by dissonance to one degree or another. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 23 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

see dissonant

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing dissonance

• cognitive dissonance

Kids Definition

dissonance

noun

dis·​so·​nance ˈdis-ə-nən(t)s 

: an unpleasant combination of musical sounds

Medical Definition

dissonance

noun

dis·​so·​nance ˈdis-ə-nən(t)s 

: inconsistency between the beliefs one holds or between one's actions and one's beliefs see cognitive dissonance