harmonic

play

adjective har·mon·ic \ här-ˈmä-nik \

Definition of harmonic

1 :musical

2 :of or relating to musical harmony or a harmonic

3 :pleasing to the ear :harmonious

4 :of an integrated nature :congruous

—

harmonically

play \här-ˈmä-ni-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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Examples of harmonic in a Sentence

the desire to live the kind of harmonic life in which work and family are perfectly balanced

Recent Examples of harmonic from the Web

His staggering technique and advanced melodic and harmonic acumen is unparalleled in original contemporary music.

— michael g. nastos, Detroit Free Press, "2017 Detroit Jazz Festival: Can't-miss music highlights from Labor Day weekend," 30 Aug. 2017
Not that anyone has yet matched the combination of high-register velocity, lightness of tone, harmonic ingenuity and melodic grace of Gillespie’s art.

— howard reich, chicagotribune.com, "Jon Faddis returns for Dizzy Gillespie tribute at Chicago Jazz Festival," 29 Aug. 2017
Dating back 150 years, British Columbia has been home to an array of experimental communities ranging from peaceful and harmonic to controversial and feared.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Reading the North: A travel guide and ‘The Promise of Paradise’," 19 Aug. 2017
Say them out loud, and there is a similarity there that’s sort of harmonic.

— joe lorio, Car and Driver, "Lincoln Motor Co. Doesn’t Like the Sound of Lynk & Co," 1 Aug. 2017
The song is challenging in its abrupt dynamic changes and harmonic juxtaposition.

— matt miller, Esquire, "The Best Songs of 2017 (So Far)," 6 June 2017
Subtly triumphant, the harmonic shift and emotional transformation likewise had a rejuvenating effect, presented with the most natural of instruments, the human voice, in an enjoyable and refreshing concert.

— libby hanssen, kansascity.com, "Kantorei KC choral ensemble contemplates nature in ‘The Peace of Wild Things’," 21 May 2017
Stravinsky's endless melodic and harmonic inventiveness emerged as fresh as ever.

— tim smith, baltimoresun.com, "Atmosphere, virtuosity in BSO program with Markus Stenz, Juho Pohjonen," 5 May 2017
His quartet’s latest album, The Shape of Jazz to Come, released a few weeks earlier, had divided critics with its dissonant melodies and near total lack of harmonic structure.

— julian sancton, Billboard, "Remembering Jazz's Greatest Year With the Living Legends of 1959," 5 May 2017

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

First Known Use of harmonic

1570

harmonic Synonyms

Synonyms

balanced, congruous, consonant, eurythmic (or eurhythmic), harmonious

harmonic

noun

Definition of harmonic

1 a :overtone; especially :one whose vibration frequency is an integral multiple of that of the fundamental

b :a flutelike tone produced on a stringed instrument by touching a vibrating string at a nodal point

2 :a component frequency of a complex wave (as of electromagnetic energy) that is an integral multiple of the fundamental frequency

Recent Examples of harmonic from the Web

Despite challenges in tuning the edgy harmonics, this was a brilliant rendition, shrill trills gilding the line, the strings chasing the piano’s statement and ending altogether with an emphatic punctuation.

— by libby hanssen, kansascity, "Summerfest impresses with brilliant colors, subtle hues of the 20th century.," 16 July 2017
At the time, they were all dismissed as hoaxes or mistaken identities, but Gillespie believes some of them may have been genuine, the product of a signal leakage known as harmonics that was common on early radio transmitters.

— glenn garvin, miamiherald, "Piece of metal may offer clue to disappearance of Amelia Earhart’s plane," 6 July 2017
Players were often asked to abandon the standard twelve pitches: glissandos, microtones, whistling harmonics, and other breathy noises proliferated.

— alex ross, The New Yorker, "The L.A. Philharmonic Celebrates Iceland," 21 Apr. 2017