polyphonic

adjective

poly·​phon·​ic ˌpä-lē-ˈfä-nik 

variants or polyphonous

pə-ˈli-fə-nəs 

1

: of, relating to, or marked by polyphony

2

: being a polyphone

polyphonically

ˌpä-lē-ˈfä-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

or polyphonously

Did you know?

Since poly- means "many", polyphonic music has "many voices". In polyphony, each part has its own melody, and they weave together in a web that may become very dense; a famous piece by Thomas Tallis, composed around 1570, has 40 separate voice parts. Polyphony reached its height during the 16th century with Italian madrigals and the sacred music of such composers as Tallis, Palestrina, and Byrd. Usually when we speak of polyphony we're talking about music of Bach's time and earlier; but the principles remain the same today, and songwriters such as the Beatles have sometimes used polyphony as well.

Examples of polyphonic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In polyphonic music such as Bach, Van Bloss offers a superhuman degree of precision and individuality. — Mike Hamersly, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026

Dja Dja comprises 14 songs of polyphonic glitz, MIDI fugues, and Balinese gamelan to form an epic suite spanning ancient timbres and hectic sound design, pure pop and a beguiling avant-garde. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026

One is a desire to reflect a polyphonic approach to narrative. — David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Georgia is culturally alive and vibrant—polyphonic singing seen and heard through swirling traditional dances, finally, felt through ancient cobblestones underfoot. — Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing polyphonic

• polyphonic prose

Rhymes for polyphonic

• anharmonic
• anionic
• avionic
• catatonic
• cationic
• chorionic
• cosmogonic
• diachronic
• diatonic
• electronic
• embryonic
• excitonic