syncopation
noun
syn·co·pa·tion
ˌsiŋ-kə-ˈpā-shən 
ˌsin-
1
: a temporary displacement of the regular metrical accent in music caused typically by stressing the weak beat
2
: a syncopated rhythm, passage, or dance step
Examples of syncopation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The music adds a rapturous complexity, as the intertwining parts seem to waver between 3/4 time and 6/8 time, and syncopations enliven the texture.
—
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
As Morillon and his colleagues report in Science Advances, a medium degree of syncopation triggered a strong desire to move to the music.
—Anna Von Hopffgarten, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2024
The tap numbers in City Center’s revival of Jelly’s Last Jam, feats of synchronization and syncopation, choreographed by Dormeshia, that transport you straight to the streets of early-20th-century New Orleans, or to the rhythmic ecstasy of a Chicago juke joint, are genuine showstoppers.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2024
The Black fiddler gave the idea of syncopation to what would become the genre; the banjo’s origins lie in West Africa.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for syncopation 
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
As Morillon and his colleagues report in Science Advances, a medium degree of syncopation triggered a strong desire to move to the music.
—Anna Von Hopffgarten, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2024
The tap numbers in City Center’s revival of Jelly’s Last Jam, feats of synchronization and syncopation, choreographed by Dormeshia, that transport you straight to the streets of early-20th-century New Orleans, or to the rhythmic ecstasy of a Chicago juke joint, are genuine showstoppers.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2024
The Black fiddler gave the idea of syncopation to what would become the genre; the banjo’s origins lie in West Africa.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for syncopation
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Dictionary Entries Near syncopation
Cite this Entry
“Syncopation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/syncopation. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
syncopation
noun
syn·co·pa·tion
ˌsiŋ-kə-ˈpā-shən
ˌsin-
1
: a temporary accenting of a normally weak beat in music to vary the rhythm
2
: a syncopated rhythm, passage, or dance step
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