harmonic
harmonic Lexical Profile
harmonic Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to, characterized by, or producing musical harmony, chords, or overtones rather than melody or rhythm.
"The composer is renowned for his innovative harmonic progressions that blend classical structure with modern jazz."
Relating to a periodic oscillation, wave, or mathematical function whose frequency is an integral multiple of a fundamental frequency, or involving reciprocals in an arithmetic progression.
"A swinging pendulum serves as a classic classroom demonstration of simple harmonic motion."
• noun
An overtone accompanying a fundamental tone at a frequency that is a whole-number multiple of the fundamental frequency, or a flute-like note produced on a stringed instrument by lightly touching a vibrating string at a nodal point.
"The cellist lightly touched the string halfway down the fingerboard to produce a clear, bell-like harmonic."
A component frequency of an acoustic, electromagnetic, or electrical signal wave that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency.
"Engineers installed specialized filters to suppress unwanted electrical harmonics in the power grid."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'harmonious' is used generally to describe pleasant agreement or aesthetic balance, 'harmonic' is primarily a technical term restricted to music theory, acoustics, physics, and mathematics.
• Rhymes for harmonic
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Latin harmonicus, from Ancient Greek harmonikós ('skilled in music, musical'), derived from harmonía ('joint, agreement, concord of sounds').