harmonic
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Related to compatibility in opinion and action.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
hahrmahnikSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
hɑɹˈmɑnɪk
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Of or relating to harmony as distinct from melody and rhythm
“Subtleties of harmonic change and tonality"- Ralph Hill.”
Pleasant to hear; harmonious; melodious.
Recurring periodically.
noun
physics
Any of a series of musical tones whose frequencies are integral multiples of the frequency of a fundamental
physics
A component frequency of the signal of a wave that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Of or relating to harmony as distinct from melody and rhythm
Used this way, harmonic is a common word with a mildly favourable edge. This is a musical use: it is everyday language among musicians and listeners, and specialised outside that.
“Subtleties of harmonic change and tonality"- Ralph Hill.”
- Emotional tone
- Slightly positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Positive and appreciative
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Music/performance
- Arts writing
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use harmonic
- “Subtleties of harmonic change and tonality"- Ralph Hill.”adjective
- “The sound of the resonating cavity cannot be the only determinant of the harmonic response.”adjective
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
Melodious; in harmony.
Pertaining to harmony.
Involving or characterized by harmony.
Consistent, harmonious, compatible, or in agreement.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
The study of musical sound.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Compatibility in opinion and action.
Go together.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Analysis of a periodic function into a sum of simple sinusoidal components.
The mean of n numbers expressed as the reciprocal of the arithmetic mean of the reciprocals of the numbers.
A periodic motion in which the displacement is either symmetrical about a point or is the sum of such motions.
A progression of terms whose reciprocals form an arithmetic progression.
A law stating that the ratio of the square of the revolutionary period (in years) to the cube of the orbital axis (in astronomical units) is the same for all planets.
The lowest tone of a harmonic series.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Antonyms
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