harmonic

1 of 2

adjective

har·​mon·​ic här-ˈmä-nik How to pronounce harmonic (audio)
1
2
: of or relating to musical harmony or a harmonic
3
: pleasing to the ear : harmonious
4
: of an integrated nature : congruous
harmonically adverb

harmonic

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: overtone
especially : one whose vibration frequency is an integral multiple of that of the fundamental
b
: a flutelike tone produced on a stringed instrument by touching a vibrating string at a nodal point
2
: a component frequency of a complex wave (as of electromagnetic energy) that is an integral multiple of the fundamental frequency

Examples of harmonic in a Sentence

Adjective the desire to live the kind of harmonic life in which work and family are perfectly balanced
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Best of all was the song on which two bandmates faced each other for a long harmonic guitar duel that spiraled up, up, and away. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025 Engineers determined the most likely cause of the propellant leak was a harmonic response several times stronger than predicted, suggesting the vibrations during the ship's climb into space were in resonance with the vehicle's natural frequency. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
Telemetry indicated the fire broke out after propellant lines leading to one of the Raptors ruptured due to unexpected harmonic vibrations. William Harwood, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2025 The singer-songwriter creates beautiful, intimate scores, rich in harmonics and pulsing with heart. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for harmonic

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of harmonic was in 1570

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Cite this Entry

“Harmonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harmonic. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

harmonic

1 of 2 adjective
har·​mon·​ic här-ˈmän-ik How to pronounce harmonic (audio)
: of or relating to musical harmony as opposed to melody or rhythm
harmonically adverb

harmonic

2 of 2 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on harmonic

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