What does "harmonic" mean?
A component frequency of the signal of a wave that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency.
Harmonic
/hɑː(ɹ)ˈmɒnɪk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A component frequency of the signal of a wave that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency.
- Grammar: harmonic is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accordant, according, af, assonant.
- Useful contrasts: nonharmonic, discordant, disharmonic.
- Usage evidence: In particular, it is customary for actual examples of use of the harmonic mean to generally cover "average speed," and explain no further than that.
How to use "harmonic"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "harmonic" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "harmonic" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "harmonic" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "harmonic" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "harmonic" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accordant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "harmonic", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A component frequency of the signal of a wave that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency.
- 2 any of a series of musical tones whose frequencies are integral multiples of the frequency of a fundamental wordnet
- 3 The place where, on a bowed string instrument, a note in the harmonic series of a particular string can be played without the fundamental present.
- 4 a tone that is a component of a complex sound wordnet
- 5 One of a class of functions that enter into the development of the potential of a nearly spherical mass due to its attraction.
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- 6 One's child.
"Games for the harmonics, (children), YL's and XYL's and the OM's, plus free soda for all."
Adjective
- 1 Pertaining to harmony.
- 2 Pleasant to hear; harmonious; melodious.
"harmonic twang of leather, horn, and brass."
- 3 Used to characterize various mathematical entities or relationships supposed to bear some resemblance to musical consonance.
"The harmonic polar line of an inflection point of a cubic curve is the component of the polar conic other than the tangent line."
- 4 Recurring periodically.
- 5 Exhibiting or applying constraints on what vowels (e.g. front/back vowels only) may be found near each other and sometimes in the entire word.
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- 6 Of or relating to a generation an even number of generations distant from a particular person.
"A person is harmonic with respect to members of his own generation and with respect to members of all even-numbered generations counting away from his own (e.g., his grandparents' generation, his grandchildren's generation, etc.)."
Adjective
- 1 involving or characterized by harmony wordnet
- 2 relating to vibrations that occur as a result of vibrations in a nearby body wordnet
- 3 of or relating to harmony as distinct from melody and rhythm wordnet
- 4 of or relating to the branch of acoustics that studies the composition of musical sounds wordnet
- 5 of or relating to harmonics wordnet
Example
"In particular, it is customary for actual examples of use of the harmonic mean to generally cover "average speed," and explain no further than that."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "harmonic"?
Common synonyms include: accordant, according, af, assonant, assonantal, attuned.
How do you use "harmonic" in a sentence?
In particular, it is customary for actual examples of use of the harmonic mean to generally cover "average speed," and explain no further than that.
How do you pronounce "harmonic"?
Pronounced /hɑː(ɹ)ˈmɒnɪk/.
Etymology
From Latin harmonicus, from Ancient Greek ἁρμονικός (harmonikós), from ἁρμονία (harmonía, “harmony”). By surface analysis, harmony + -ic.