Consonance
n.calm, thoughtfulformal
Meaning 1
Agreement or compatibility among ideas, values, or actions.
Reach for it when describing elements that fit together without contradiction
The final plan achieved consonance between beauty and step-free access.
Choose between these
4- everyday
agreement
ideas or positions match in a direct way
not when Agreement can be explicit between people and need not involve harmonious fit.
- warm
parts combine agreeably into a whole
not when Harmony is warmer and can imply a lack of meaningful disagreement.
- professional
alignment
goals, actions, or principles point in the same direction
not when Alignment is corporate language and can hide tension or unequal power.
- formal
elements or parties are in recognized agreement
not when Accord can name a negotiated settlement rather than an inherent fit.
Meaning 2
A pleasant or stable combination of musical sounds.
Reach for it when discussing perceived harmonic agreement in music
The movement closes in gentle consonance after sustained tension.
Choose between these
3- playful
musical accord
plain figurative wording suits a general audience
not when Musical accord is uncommon and may be mistaken for agreement among musicians.
- professional
harmonic stability
technical musical discussion needs the listener's sense of rest
not when Stability is theory-dependent and less natural outside music analysis.
- literary
the combined sound is pleasing to hear
not when Euphony concerns pleasant sound broadly, not the harmonic relationship between pitches.
Said against
5- conflict
- inconsistency
- dissonance
- discord
- clash
It naturally appears in
3- consonance between
There is consonance between the stated goal and the funded work.
- in consonance with
The repair is in consonance with the building's original proportions.
- harmonic consonance
Harmonic consonance arrives only after the unresolved suspension.
Where this comes from
- merriam-webster, noun sense 2 opens in a new tab for meaning 1 · retrieved 2026-07-26
- merriam-webster, noun sense 1 opens in a new tab for meaning 2 · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.