# harmonic

/hɑɹˈmɑnɪk/ (US) · /hɑːmˈɒnɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/harmonic
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. acoustics and music

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a higher, softer sound that happens at the same time as a main musical note.

For teachers: a component frequency of a complex signal that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency.

- The guitar player touched the string lightly to produce a clear, ringing harmonic.
- By lightly touching the string at its midpoint, the cellist isolated the first harmonic, producing a tone exactly one octave above the open string.

Usage: Often used in the plural when discussing the rich quality of a sound.

### 2. mathematics

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a specific type of mathematical function used to study shapes or waves.

For teachers: a function that satisfies Laplace's equation, often used in the study of potentials and spherical masses.

- The professor explained how to use a spherical harmonic to solve the physics problem.
- The researcher applied spherical harmonics to model the gravitational potential of the irregularly shaped asteroid.

### 3. pleasant sounding

adjective · CEFR B2

sounding very pleasant, peaceful, or beautiful together.

For teachers: characterised by harmony; pleasing to the ear through the combination of simultaneous notes.

- The choir filled the church with a beautiful harmonic sound.
- The composer's later works moved away from traditional harmonic structures toward a more dissonant, experimental style.

### 4. linguistics

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

describing how certain sounds in a word must match each other.

For teachers: relating to vowel harmony, where vowels within a word must belong to the same class, such as front or back vowels.

- Turkish is a language known for its harmonic vowel system.
- The suffix changes its form to maintain harmonic balance with the root word's final vowel.

## Examples

- The guitarist played a clear harmonic at the end of the song.
- By lightly touching the string at its midpoint, the cellist produced a clear harmonic one octave above the open note.
- The rich, warm timbre of a vintage violin is largely determined by the specific strength and distribution of the harmonics generated alongside the fundamental pitch of each vibrating string.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.