1 harmonies | Definition of harmonies

harmony

noun
har·​mo·​ny | \ ˈhär-mÉ™-nÄ“ How to pronounce harmony (audio) \
plural harmonies

Definition of harmony

1a : 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
2a : 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
3a : 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
4 archaic : tuneful sound : melody

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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 on the Web

For decades, the Waiapi have lived in the Brazilian state of Amapa in near-isolation from the non-indigenous world and in harmony with the rainforest. Flora Charner, Isa Soares, Waffa Munayyer, Cnn, CNN, "Brazil's indigenous guardians of the Amazon," 27 Aug. 2019 Get your burger fix: Read all 52 Weeks of Burgers reports so far Best burger: The Flats Signature Burger ($12) was all about the delectable sauce working in harmony with the beef patty. Chuck Blount, ExpressNews.com, "52 Weeks of Burgers: Tycoon Flats," 23 Aug. 2019 The granite counters are dark-toned, in harmony with the shiny black appliances. John Ellement, Boston.com Real Estate, "Home of the Week: Farmhand quarters serve as office suite in Needham antique," 21 Aug. 2019 The home is modest in size at just 1,856 square feet, in harmony with Wright’s philosophy to serve the middle class with comfortable, affordable homes. Megan Barber, Curbed, "Usonian house in planned Frank Lloyd Wright community asks $810K," 16 Aug. 2019 The trip’s itinerary was in harmony with the women’s political views: both support boycotting, sanctioning and divesting (BDS) from Israel to protest against and change the country’s treatment of Palestinians. The Economist, "Donald Trump presses Israel into barring entry to American congresswomen," 16 Aug. 2019 At a time when climate change poses a growing threat, his philosophy of building in harmony with nature seems more relevant than ever. Blair Kamin, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Why the addition of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings to World Heritage List is a big deal," 7 July 2019 While in harmony with the music (Bach’s Oboe Sonata in G Minor and Concerto in A Minor), her steps don’t necessarily match it. Siobhan Burke, New York Times, "Paul Taylor’s Company Without Him: Onstage, a Transition to a New Era," 9 June 2019 In 2013, Ecuador appointed a state secretary of buen vivir, an understanding of the good life — rooted in indigenous spirituality — that entails living in harmony with the natural environment. Sigal Samuel, Vox, "Forget GDP — New Zealand is prioritizing gross national well-being," 8 June 2019

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.

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First Known Use of harmony

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

History and Etymology for harmony

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

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More Definitions for harmony

harmony

noun

English Language Learners Definition of harmony

: 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

harmony

noun
har·​mo·​ny | \ ˈhär-mÉ™-nÄ“ How to pronounce harmony (audio) \
plural harmonies

Kids Definition of harmony

1 : the playing of musical tones together in chords
2 : a pleasing arrangement of parts a harmony of colors
3 : agreement sense 1, accord The committee worked in harmony.

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