dissonance

[dis-uh-nuhns]

noun

1. inharmonious or harsh sound; discord; cacophony.

2. Music.

   1. a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of unrest and needing completion.

   2. an unresolved, discordant chord or interval.

3. disagreement or incongruity.

dissonance

/ ˈdɪsənəns /

noun

1. a discordant combination of sounds

2. lack of agreement or consistency

3. music

   1. a sensation commonly associated with all intervals of the second and seventh, all diminished and augmented intervals, and all chords based on these intervals Compare consonance

   2. an interval or chord of this kind

Word History and Origins

Origin of dissonance¹

1565–75; < Late Latin dissonantia, equivalent to disson- ( dissonant ) + -antia -ance

Example Sentences

One way to reconcile the cognitive dissonance is to accept that gender roles are a social construct and, actually, it’s okay if women want to be firefighters and men want to be manicurists.

From Salon

“Diciannove” hums with the dissonance of repression plus expression in Leonardo’s consequential 19th year.

From Los Angeles Times

The Esptein conspiracy theory is a coping mechanism for people enduring this cognitive dissonance.

From Salon

"There's a kind of cognitive dissonance" from fans, he argues.

From BBC

But that statement alone reveals a fundamental dissonance about Lyonne’s film and her understanding of what’s happening to technical artists in Hollywood.

From Salon

Related Words

• discord 
• discrepancy 
• disparity 
• dissension 
• incongruity 

When To Use

What does dissonance mean?

Dissonance is harsh, inharmonious noise—cacophony.It can also refer to stark disagreement or lack of consistency.In both cases, a close synonym is discord.In the context of music, the word dissonance is used in a specific way to refer to a combination of sounds thought to be inharmonious (often ones intentionally composed to be so). It can also refer to a chord or interval that features such disharmony.In music and in general, dissonance is the opposite of consonance, which means harmony, agreement, or accord.In psychology, the term cognitive dissonance refers to the unease a person feels when they have two or more contradictory or incompatible beliefs.An adjective form of dissonance is dissonant.Example: Leaders in both factions of the party promised harmony, but so far there has been nothing but dissonance and constant arguing.