Dissonance

Noun

Definition: Lack of harmony or agreement; inconsistency or disagreement.

Definition: Lack of accord or compatibility in sounds or musical tones.

Synonyms: Discord, Disharmony, Disagreement, Incongruity

Antonyms: Harmony, Accord, Concordance

Examples:

The dissonance between their beliefs caused constant arguments.
The composer intentionally created dissonance in the music to evoke a sense of tension.

Mnemonics:

Think of the "dis-" prefix indicating negation or lack, and "sonance" resembling "sound" or "harmony".
Dissonance can be seen as a clash or conflict in either ideas or music.

Etymology:

Origin:

Middle English "dissynance", from Latin "dissonantia", from "dissonant", present participle of "dissonare" meaning "to be dissonant"

Historical Usage:

The term "dissonance" has been used in musical contexts since the 16th century, referring to a lack of harmony in musical tones. In the 20th century, it began to be used more widely to describe disagreements and inconsistencies in various contexts.

Related Idioms:

Idiom:

"Cognitive dissonance"

Explanation:

A psychological concept referring to the mental discomfort experienced when a person holds conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes, leading to a state of tension and a desire to resolve the inconsistency.

Misconceptions:

Misconception:

Assuming dissonance only refers to musical notes.

Explanation:

While dissonance originated as a musical concept, it is also commonly used in non-musical contexts to describe a lack of harmony or agreement between ideas or people.