Concinnity
What it means
Elegant harmony among the parts of a whole.
Reach for it when giving rare formal praise to design or writing whose elements fit with proportion
The pavilion's concinnity came from repeated curves and restrained materials.
Words to choose between 5
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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everyday
Fits when the work feels whole rather than fragmented
Careful Unity can come from repetition while the result remains clumsy.
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warm
Fits when parts combine without discord
Careful Harmony is broad and need not include concinnity's elegance or careful proportion.
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professional
coherence
Fits when the parts form a logically unified whole
Careful Coherence can be plain or unattractive and says nothing about graceful design.
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formal
Fits when refined simplicity is the dominant praise
Careful Elegance can belong to one element without harmony among all the parts.
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formal
proportion
Fits when relative sizes or amounts create balance
Careful Good proportion is only one possible source of concinnity.
Opposites 3
- discord
- awkwardness
- incoherence
Common phrases 3
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concinnity of design
The concinnity of design became visible from the central courtyard.
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concinnity of style
Critics admired the essay's concinnity of style and argument.
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concinnity among
Careful spacing created concinnity among the otherwise varied objects.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Concinnity is rare outside literary and design criticism; harmony or coherence will serve most readers better.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Updated