adj Uncommon

harmonic

hah-MO-nihk

Harmonic (adj) means relating to harmony; pleasant and well-balanced in sound. Example: “The choir produced a rich, harmonic blend of voices.”

adj

Relating to harmony; pleasant and well-balanced in sound.

"The choir produced a rich, harmonic blend of voices."

"The song's harmonic structure builds gently toward the chorus."

noun

In physics and music, a frequency that is a whole-number multiple of a base ("fundamental") frequency.

"A guitar string produces the fundamental note plus a series of higher harmonics."

"Engineers filter out unwanted harmonics from the electrical signal."

How to use harmonic

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishRelated to harmony, or (in science) one of the extra tones layered on top of a main frequency.

Common pairings

harmonic series harmonic frequency harmonic motion

Word forms

more harmonic comparative, harmonics plural, most harmonic superlative

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The choir produced a rich, _____ blend of voices.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek harmonikos ("skilled in music"), from harmonia, "harmony."

Origin: Ancient Greek

Rhymes for harmonic

tonic ionic sonic ironic bionic iconic laconic Masonic chronic moronic demonic bubonic

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Frequently asked questions

What does “harmonic” mean?

The word “harmonic” means relating to harmony; pleasant and well-balanced in sound. In plain terms, related to harmony, or (in science) one of the extra tones layered on top of a main frequency.

How do you pronounce “harmonic”?

“Harmonic” is pronounced hah-MO-nihk (/hɑɹˈmɑnɪk/ in IPA).

How do you use “harmonic” in a sentence?

Here is “harmonic” used in a sentence: “The choir produced a rich, harmonic blend of voices.”

What part of speech is “harmonic”?

Depending on how it is used, “harmonic” can be an adjective and a noun.

Where does the word “harmonic” come from?

The word “harmonic” comes from Ancient Greek. From Ancient Greek harmonikos ("skilled in music"), from harmonia, "harmony.".

Is “harmonic” a common word?

“Harmonic” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “harmonic” have?

“Harmonic” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to harmony; pleasant and well-balanced in sound.

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