Harmony — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈhär-mə-nē/ har·mo·ny

Meaning & Definition of Harmony

Harmony (noun)

  1. the combination of simultaneous musical notes in a chord
  2. the structure of music with respect to the composition and progression of chords
  3. the science of the structure, relation, and progression of chords

Harmony (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a balanced, pleasing, or suitable arrangement of parts

    "her face had an angelic harmony that fascinated the leading painters of her day"

    similar: balance, coherence, concinnity, consonance, consonancy, orchestration, proportion, symmetry, symphony, unity
    related: coordination, correlation, correspondence, equalization, equilibrium, evenness, order, orderliness, regularity, uniformity
    opposite: asymmetry, discordance, disproportion, disunity, imbalance, incoherence, violence
    near: confusion, disorganization, dissonance, disturbance, tension, disconnectedness, disjointedness, incompatibility, irregularity, unevenness

  2. peaceful coexistence

    "the apparent inability of the party's right and left wings to resolve their conflicts and live in harmony at least during the convention"

    similar: chime, comity, compatibility, concord, peace
    related: amity, companionship, compatibleness, congeniality, fellowship, fraternization, friendship, collaboration, reciprocity, symbiosis, agreement, consensus, unanimity, cohesion, cohesiveness, unity, affinity, connection, empathy, kinship, oneness, rapport, solidarity, sympathy, understanding, peacefulness, sereneness, serenity, sweetness and light, tranquility
    opposite: conflict, discord, dissension, variance
    near: antagonism, antipathy, enmity, hatred, hostility, unfriendliness, alienation, breach, divorce, estrangement, rupture, schism, scission, severance, dissent, dissidence, anarchy, disorder, disturbance, strife, turmoil

  3. a state of consistency

    "for once, the kids' idea of a vacation was in perfect harmony with their parents' notion of total relaxation"

    similar: accord, accordance, agreement, conformance, conformity, congruence, congruency, congruity, consonance, tune
    related: compatibility, assimilation, integration, oneness, solidarity, togetherness, affinity, empathy, sympathy
    opposite: conflict, disagreement, incongruence, incongruity, incongruousness
    near: contrast, discrepancy, disparateness, disparity, dissimilarity, distinction, distinctiveness, distinctness, diverseness, diversity, unlikeness, deviance, divergence, discord, discordance, dissension, dissent, dissidence, disunity, friction, strife, variability, variance, incompatibility

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Harmony

The most common words with a similar meaning to Harmony:

balance, coherence, concinnity, consonance, consonancy, orchestration, proportion, symmetry, symphony, unity, chime, comity, compatibility, concord, peace, accord, accordance, agreement, conformance, conformity, congruence, congruency, congruity, tune

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Harmony

Words with the opposite meaning of Harmony:

asymmetry, discordance, disproportion, disunity, imbalance, incoherence, violence, conflict, discord, dissension, variance, disagreement, incongruence, incongruity, incongruousness

Related Words for Harmony

coordination, correlation, correspondence, equalization, equilibrium, evenness, order, orderliness, regularity, uniformity, amity, companionship, compatibleness, congeniality, fellowship, fraternization, friendship, collaboration, reciprocity, symbiosis, consensus, unanimity, cohesion, cohesiveness, affinity, connection, empathy, kinship, oneness, rapport

Near Antonyms of Harmony

confusion, disorganization, dissonance, disturbance, tension, disconnectedness, disjointedness, incompatibility, irregularity, unevenness, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, hatred, hostility, unfriendliness, alienation, breach, divorce, estrangement, rupture, schism, scission, severance, dissent, dissidence, anarchy, disorder, strife, turmoil

Word Forms of Harmony

Inflections: harmonies

Origin & Etymology of Harmony

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

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Harmony

Frequently Asked Questions about Harmony

What does "Harmony" mean?

"Harmony" means the combination of simultaneous musical notes in a chord. As a noun, it is defined as: the combination of simultaneous musical notes in a chord. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Harmony"?

Other words for "Harmony" include balance, coherence, concinnity, consonance, consonancy, orchestration, proportion and symmetry. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Harmony" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Harmony"?

There are 65 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Harmony". Common alternatives include balance, coherence, concinnity, consonance, consonancy, orchestration, proportion, symmetry, symphony and unity.

What is the opposite of "Harmony"?

Antonyms of "Harmony" include asymmetry, discordance, disproportion, disunity, imbalance, incoherence, violence and conflict. Near antonyms include confusion, disorganization, dissonance and disturbance.

How do you use "Harmony" in a sentence?

Examples of "Harmony" in a sentence: "her face had an angelic harmony that fascinated the leading painters of her day"; "the apparent inability of the party's right and left wings to resolve their conflicts and live in harmony at least during the convention"; "for once, the kids' idea of a vacation was in perfect harmony with their parents' notion of total relaxation".

Is "Harmony" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Harmony" is a noun.

Is "Harmony" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Harmony" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Harmony"?

"Harmony" is pronounced /ˈhär-mə-nē/ and divided into syllables as har·mo·ny.