harmony

Word family

• harmonious
  adjectiveB2
• harmoniously
  adverbB2
• harmonize
  verbB2
• harmonization
  nounC1
• harmonic
  adjectiveC1
• dissonance
  nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Peace, unity, accord, and balance all overlap with harmony but differ in emphasis. Peace primarily means the absence of conflict or violence — two groups can be at peace without actively getting along. Unity goes further, suggesting that separate parties have come together as one, often with a shared identity or goal. Accord is a more formal word for a state of agreement, commonly used in diplomacy ('the two nations reached an accord'). Balance refers to a stable arrangement where opposing forces offset each other, but it does not imply positive agreement — only that things are in the right proportions. Harmony combines peaceful coexistence with the idea that the parts work well together and enhance each other. For example, a neighbourhood with different cultures can be in harmony (each group keeps its identity but relationships are friendly and cooperative), whereas peace would only mean there are no fights, and unity would mean the groups have merged into one.

Common collocations

Etymology

The word 'harmony' entered English through French 'harmonie', from Latin 'harmonia', which came from the Greek 'harmonia' (ἁρμονία). In ancient Greek, 'harmonia' originally meant a fitting together or a joining of parts — it was used for carpentry and shipbuilding before it was applied to music. The idea of parts being joined in a pleasing way eventually carried over to musical notes, and later to social relations.