harmony

noun har·mo·ny \ ˈhär-mə-nē \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of harmony

plural harmonies

1 archaic : tuneful sound : melody

2 a : the combination of simultaneous musical notes in a chord

She taught him how to sing harmony.

b : the structure of music with respect to the composition and progression of chords

a song with complicated harmonies and rhythms

c : the science of the structure, relation, and progression of chords

3 a : pleasing arrangement of parts : congruence

a painting exhibiting harmony of color and line

b : agreement, accord

when a woman's desires are in harmony with those of her husband

c : internal calm : tranquility

a period of relative harmony

4 a : an interweaving of different accounts into a single narrative

b : a systematic arrangement of parallel literary passages (as of the Gospels) for the purpose of showing agreement or harmony

See harmony defined for English-language learners

See harmony defined for kids

Examples of harmony in a Sentence

a song with complicated harmonies and rhythms
her face had an angelic harmony that fascinated the leading painters of her day

Recent Examples of harmony from the Web

Malians and Fulanis lived together in harmony for centuries but are now poised to kill each other, Cissé said.

— soumaila t. diarra, USA TODAY, "Mali ripe territory for ISIS, local militias — and they often clash," 7 May 2018
But when the agave and wood are in harmony, there’s nothing quite like the taste.

— jason wilson, New York Times, "Picking an Extra Añejo Tequila Takes Extra Care," 30 Apr. 2018
Yet business and Buddhism have often been in harmony, says Kin Cheung, who researches Asian faiths and economics at Moravian College in Pennsylvania.

— The Economist, "China’s holy sites list on the stockmarket," 26 Apr. 2018
However, the United States is now in harmony with most of the rest of the world, and no legislative action is underway this year to make any waves that would affect the 2019 rollover.

— glenn fleishman, The Atlantic, "A Landslide of Classic Art Is About to Enter the Public Domain," 8 Apr. 2018
Priscilla Herreid and Meg Owens were a dynamic wind duo, their recorders warbling and oboes ambling in harmony.

— zoë madonna, BostonGlobe.com, "Handel and Haydn ‘Fairy Queen’ is delightful," 7 Apr. 2018
Led by Director Jay Walea, who spent his youth exploring, hunting and drawing inspiration from the verdant forests of the Bluff, the Conservancy team works tirelessly to ensure that development and natural environments can coexist in harmony.

— Smithsonian, "Learn more about the Conservancy at Palmetto Bluff," 1 Apr. 2018
Young and Clarkson take almost nothing seriously, but their speeches, perhaps inadvertently, highlighted two parts of Randle's personality that live in harmony.

— tania ganguli, latimes.com, "Julius Randle: From bully on the court to gentle giant at home," 24 Mar. 2018
Or after the chorizo, green with parsley, that's served over cabbage kimchi ($8), a We-Are-the-World kind of plate that manages to live in harmony.

— carol deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Food plus fire is perfect mix at Birch + Butcher," 20 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of harmony

Middle English armony, from Anglo-French armonie, from Latin harmonia, from Greek, joint, harmony, from harmos joint — more at arm

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

harmony Synonyms

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

HARMONY Defined for English Language Learners

harmony

noun

Definition of harmony for English Language Learners

: the combination of different musical notes played or sung at the same time to produce a pleasing sound
: a pleasing combination or arrangement of different things