consonance
noun
con·so·nance
ˈkän(t)-s(ə-)nən(t)s 
1
: harmony or agreement among components
His beliefs are in consonance with the political party's views.
2
a
: correspondence or recurrence of sounds especially in words
specifically
: recurrence or repetition of consonants especially at the end of stressed syllables without the similar correspondence of vowels (as in the final sounds of "stroke" and "luck")
b
Examples of consonance in a Sentence
at present, the living room lacks consonance because all of the furniture is on one side
in good writing there is always consonance of thought and expression, as the use of simple words for simple thoughts
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet that consonance of sound is complicated by the writing.
—
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Jan. 2026
The song amounts to a masterpiece not just in how images move within the restricted space of a pop song, but also in rhyme and off-rhyme and consonance.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
Dissonance dissolves into consonance, consonance is drowned in dissonance.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2024
The simile is novel and yet the sort of thing a young woman would think; there is assonance and consonance seesawing across the sentence, which is slow and gorgeous rather than quick and thrilling.
—Joanna Biggs, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for consonance
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Jan. 2026
The song amounts to a masterpiece not just in how images move within the restricted space of a pop song, but also in rhyme and off-rhyme and consonance.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
Dissonance dissolves into consonance, consonance is drowned in dissonance.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2024
The simile is novel and yet the sort of thing a young woman would think; there is assonance and consonance seesawing across the sentence, which is slow and gorgeous rather than quick and thrilling.
—Joanna Biggs, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for consonance
Cite this Entry
“Consonance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consonance. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
consonance
noun
con·so·nance
ˈkän(t)-s(ə-)nən(t)s
: harmony or agreement especially of musical tones or speech sounds
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
