enharmonic

adjective

en·​har·​mon·​ic ˌen-(ˌ)här-ˈmä-nik How to pronounce enharmonic (audio)
: of, relating to, or being notes that are written differently (such as A flat and G sharp) but sound the same in the tempered scale
enharmonically adverb

Examples of enharmonic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Aural anticipation of solid resolution instead opens out as the grammar reorients around the enharmonic change of perspective. BostonGlobe.com, 3 May 2018 Such enharmonic transfers often are incorporated into dominant-seventh chords, among the more unstable harmonies in traditional tonal practice. BostonGlobe.com, 3 May 2018 Even more beguiling is Harris’s use of enharmonic tones — exploiting how the same pitch can be notated as, say, G-flat or F-sharp, with different harmonic implications for each. BostonGlobe.com, 3 May 2018 Coltrane’s playing has always been aggressive and jarring, but the dissonance and enharmonic experimentation on Interstellar Space is otherworldly. Zach Graham, GQ, 17 July 2017 Both Thundercat’s 2011 album The Golden Age of the Apocalypse and his 2017 album Drunk take Coltrane-scale work and melt it into puddles of enharmonic bliss with profound authority. Zach Graham, GQ, 17 July 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enharmonic.' 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

French enharmonique, from Middle French, of a scale employing quarter tones, from Greek enarmonios, from en in + harmonia harmony, scale

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of enharmonic was in 1794

Dictionary Entries Near enharmonic

Cite this Entry

“Enharmonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enharmonic. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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