resonance
noun
res·o·nance
| \ ˈre-zə-nən(t)s
, ˈrez-nən(t)s\
, ˈrez-nən(t)s\
Definition of resonance
1a
: the quality or state of being resonant
b(1)
: a vibration of large amplitude in a mechanical or electrical system caused by a relatively small periodic stimulus of the same or nearly the same period as the natural vibration period of the system
(2)
: the state of adjustment that produces resonance in a mechanical or electrical system
2a
: the intensification and enriching of a musical tone by supplementary vibration
b
: a quality imparted to voiced sounds by vibration in anatomical resonating chambers or cavities (such as the mouth or the nasal cavity)
c
: a quality of richness or variety
d
: a quality of evoking response
how much resonance the scandal seems to be having — U.S. News & World Report
3
: the sound elicited on percussion of the chest
4
: the conceptual alternation of a chemical species (such as a molecule or ion) between two or more equivalent allowed structural representations differing only in the placement of electrons that aids in understanding the actual state of the species as an amalgamation of its possible structures and the usually higher-than-expected stability of the species
5a
: the enhancement of an atomic, nuclear, or particle reaction or a scattering event by excitation of internal motion in the system
6
: an extremely short-lived elementary particle
7
: a synchronous gravitational relationship of two celestial bodies (such as moons) that orbit a third (such as a planet) which can be expressed as a simple ratio of their orbital periods
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Examples of resonance in a Sentence
the resonance of the singer's voice
His story didn't have much resonance with the audience.
Recent Examples on the Web
The film is bound to have particular resonance for residents of metro Detroit, which has seen its share of plant closings and the arrival of Fuyao in Plymouth in 2016. — Detroit Free Press, "Acclaimed Netflix documentary 'American Factory' gets free local screening," 26 Aug. 2019 The laughs have an emotional resonance remarkable for a comedian who has been doing stand-up for only four years. — Globe Correspondent, BostonGlobe.com, "Comic Will Martin wants to make you laugh at death, after you’ve squirmed a bit," 12 June 2019 The thing is, many image-makers are divorced from emotional resonance. — Christopher Borrelli, chicagotribune.com, "'Solo' cinematographer finds light in the darkness," 24 May 2018 What doesn't: The film lacks an effective audience surrogate, which keeps it from achieving adequate emotional resonance. — Mike Scott, NOLA.com, "'7 Days in Entebbe' movie review: Hijacking drama never quite takes off," 16 Mar. 2018 With its poetic collage of image and sound, the piece’s subject, climate change, has deep resonance for a city uncomfortably close to the sea. — BostonGlobe.com, "The Ticket: What’s happening in the local arts world," 7 Aug. 2019 People are people, and human relationships have resonance far beyond a person’s sexuality. — Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, "Ask Amy: My creepy neighbor got angry when I told him to stay away," 2 Aug. 2019 Bourdain’s empathy doesn’t feel like virtue signaling, either, a cynical term that had no resonance in 2001. — Tim Carman, Washington Post, "Overlooked among his many books, Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Typhoid Mary’ is a revelation in 2019," 30 July 2019 Despite treatment, disease advances The results have particular resonance in San Antonio, where more than 14 percent of adults have been diagnosed with diabetes. — Lauren Caruba, ExpressNews.com, "A ‘scary disease’: Children with Type 2 diabetes suffer from advanced complications, study finds," 28 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'resonance.' 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 resonance
resonance
noun
English Language Learners Definition of resonance
formal
: the quality of a sound that stays loud, clear, and deep for a long time
formal
: a quality that makes something personally meaningful or important to someone
technical
: a sound or vibration produced in one object that is caused by the sound or vibration produced in another
See the full definition for resonance in the English Language Learners Dictionary
resonance
noun
res·o·nance
| \ ˈre-zə-nəns
\
\
Kids Definition of resonance
: a long loud, clear, and deep quality of sound
resonance
noun
res·o·nance
| \ ˈrez-ᵊn-ən(t)s, ˈrez-nən(t)s
\
\
Medical Definition of resonance
1
: a quality imparted to voiced sounds by vibration in anatomical resonating chambers or cavities (as the mouth or the nasal cavity)
2
: the sound elicited on percussion of the chest
3
: the conceptual alternation of a chemical species (as a molecule or ion) between two or more equivalent allowed structural representations differing only in the placement of electrons that aids in understanding the actual state of the species as an amalgamation of its possible structures and the usually higher-than-expected stability of the species
4a
: the enhancement of an atomic, nuclear, or particle reaction or a scattering event by excitation of internal motion in the system
b
: magnetic resonance — see electron spin resonance
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