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enharmonic

adjective
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en·​har·​mon·​ic | \ ˌen-(ˌ)här-ˈmä-nik How to pronounce enharmonic (audio) \

Definition of enharmonic

: 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
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Other Words from enharmonic

enharmonically \ ˌen-​(ˌ)här-​ˈmä-​ni-​k(ə-​)lē How to pronounce enharmonically (audio) \ 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, "Cantata Singers perform a heavenly masterpiece," 3 May 2018 Such enharmonic transfers often are incorporated into dominant-seventh chords, among the more unstable harmonies in traditional tonal practice. — BostonGlobe.com, "Cantata Singers perform a heavenly masterpiece," 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, "Cantata Singers perform a heavenly masterpiece," 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, "The John Coltrane Record That Made Modern Music," 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, "The John Coltrane Record That Made Modern Music," 17 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'enharmonic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of enharmonic

1794, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for enharmonic

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

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Time Traveler for enharmonic

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The first known use of enharmonic was in 1794

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Cite this Entry

“Enharmonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enharmonic. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.

More from Merriam-Webster on enharmonic

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about enharmonic

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