counterpoint
noun
coun·ter·point
| \ ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌpȯint
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Definition of counterpoint
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: one or more independent melodies added above or below a given melody
b
: the combination of two or more independent melodies into a single harmonic texture in which each retains its linear character : polyphony
2a
: a complementing or contrasting item : opposite
b
: use of contrast or interplay of elements in a work of art (such as a drama)
counterpoint
verb
counterpointed;
counterpointing;
counterpoints
Definition of counterpoint (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to compose or arrange in counterpoint
2
: to set off or emphasize by juxtaposition : set in contrast
counterpoints the public and the private man— Tom Bishop
Examples of counterpoint in a Sentence
Noun
The guitar and bass are played in counterpoint. The dressing is a refreshing counterpoint to the spicy chicken. The painting is a pleasant counterpoint to his earlier works. The music works in counterpoint to the images on the screen.Verb
The violence of the movie is counterpointed by ironic humor.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Yu uses images of her students in high heels and tall boots as a counterpoint to the ancient masterpiece. — Charlotte Gordon, Washington Post, "Female artists have been overlooked and ignored. This book wants to correct that.," 5 Sep. 2019 The cross-border cooperation (institutions, curators and writers from across Latin America contributed) served as a cultural counterpoint to the rising anti-Latino xenophobia of the Trump administration, then in its first year. — Los Angeles Times, "Commentary: Targeted in El Paso, vilified by Trump. Why the Latino culture vacuum is dangerous," 15 Aug. 2019 Opus Bono established itself as a counterpoint to the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and other groups that have accused the church of trying to cover up the scandal and failing to support victims of clergy misconduct. — Anchorage Daily News, "Priests accused of sex abuse turned to under-the-radar group," 29 July 2019 Tate, meanwhile, serves as a counterpoint to Dalton. — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, "Quentin Tarantino juggles glamour and gore in the compelling ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’," 23 July 2019 Those who are opposed to regulating DAFs point to the experience of these private foundations — think of organizations like the Gates Foundation — as a counterpoint. — Theodore Schleifer, Vox, "Today’s “working robber barons” have used a tax break to create a $110 billion charity stockpile, called donor-advised funds. It isn’t getting any smaller.," 2 July 2019 The flaky crust of a steak pie was a lovely counterpoint to the rich beef broth and savory meat, carrots and mushrooms. — Los Angeles Times, "Scotland a foodie haven? ’Tis true. And so is this: Haggis is kind of great," 20 July 2019 From a technological standpoint, business-to-business, or B2B, delivery is the straightforward counterpoint to the complexities of autonomous ride-hailing and driverless delivery directly to consumers, known as B2C or last-mile. — Matthew Boyle, latimes.com, "Self-driving delivery is coming to Walmart — but not directly to customers," 19 June 2019 Quint said the weekend's success was a great counterpoint to the disappointment of the previous weekend, when a looming tropical storm forced the Jaycees to postpone the related Roy Martin Young Anglers Tournament. — al.com, "Weigh ‘em in: Big fish hit dock at deep sea rodeo," 21 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Both Rick Owens and Balenciaga’s Demna Gvasalia were at their inventive best, pushing their silhouettes in new, avant-garde directions, while at Dries Van Noten and Alexander McQueen, flawless suiting was counterpointed by seductive flower prints. — Nicole Phelps, Vogue, "The Top 12 Shows of Paris Fashion Week Fall 2019," 6 Mar. 2019 Carpaccio di tonno — thin slices of ahi counterpointed by capers, olive oil and peppery arugula — was clean, simple and very good. — Kate Washington, sacbee, "It's not flashy or splashy, but Roseville's Ciao excels at cooking classic Italian," 8 June 2018 Carolyn Holland, Ecotrust's vice president for communications, would not say what counterpoints the group has about the state's plan to claw back part of the tax credit. — Hillary Borrud, OregonLive.com, "Oregon could claw back $1 million tax credit from failed sawmill," 11 May 2018 Arendt’s sheer delight in intellectual speculation counterpoints her intense ethical commitment to thinking as a form of political engagement. — George Prochnik, New York Times, "The Philosopher in Dark Times," 12 Apr. 2018 The smartest touch is counterpointing the pair’s bickering with the idealized representation of American life presented by a scatting jazz trio, who comment on the action like a Greek chorus of ’50s hepcats. — John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Lyric Opera offers up a sweet celebration of Bernstein at 100," 11 Mar. 2018 But the high adventure is counterpointed at every turn by self-conscious humor. — Steve Stern, New York Times, "Broken Promises in the Promised Land," 11 Sep. 2017 Heads are often presented in the lower half of the image, counterpointed with open space (where God resides?) and the details of the confining environments in which their lives play out. — Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Apostasy': Film Review | San Sebastian 2017," 9 Oct. 2017 Traffic on the adjacent road, jets rumbling overhead, clicking spokes of passing bicycles, the frictive thrum of a skateboard, the crunch of your own footsteps — all shift from background noise to counterpoint for the tones emanating from above. — Leah Ollman, latimes.com, "Composer John Luther Adams' new campus 'Wind Garden' art installation is heard more than it is seen," 23 Aug. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'counterpoint.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for counterpoint
counterpoint
noun
English Language Learners Definition of counterpoint
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a combination of two or more melodies that are played together
: a melody played in combination with another
formal
: something that is different from something else in usually a pleasing way
counterpoint
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of counterpoint (Entry 2 of 2)
formal
: to put two things together in a way that shows how different they are from each other
See the full definition for counterpoint in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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