discordant
adjective
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Discord, a word more common in earlier centuries than today, means basically "conflict", so discordant often means "conflicting". The opinions of Supreme Court justices are frequently discordant; justices who disagree with the Court's decision usually write a dissenting opinion. Discordant is often used with a somewhat musical meaning, suggesting that a single wrong note or harmony has been heard in the middle of a performance—even though musical words such as chord actually come from a different Latin word, meaning "cord" or "string" (a reference to the strings of ancient instruments such as the lyre).
Synonyms
Examples of discordant in a Sentence
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2024
After assuming the prime ministership in July, May dismissed potentially discordant ministers and appointed a finely balanced new cabinet.
—Tim Cullen, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2016
Hans Zimmer’s score sprinkles in discordant notes of dread.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024
Descriptions also bear an alien, computer imprint in their discordant and nearly nonsensical images.
—Tom Comitta, WIRED, 9 May 2023
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Dictionary Entries Near discordant
Cite this Entry
“Discordant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discordant. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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discordant
adjective
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