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dissonance

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Dissonance is defined as tension or disharmony.

(noun)

An example of dissonance is when two musical notes are not in harmony.
An example of dissonance is when you put people together with strongly opposing political views.

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See dissonance in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

an inharmonious sound or combination of sounds; discord
any lack of harmony or agreement; incongruity
Music a chord that sounds incomplete or unfulfilled until resolved to a harmonious chord

Origin: ME dissonaunce < LL dissonantia < L dissonans, prp. of dissonare, to be discordant < dis-, apart + sonus, a sound

See dissonance in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A harsh, disagreeable combination of sounds; discord.
Lack of agreement, consistency, or harmony; conflict: “In Vietnam, reality fell away and dissonance between claim and fact filled the void” (Michael Janeway).
Music A combination of tones contextually considered to suggest unrelieved tension and require resolution.

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