dis·so·nance

[dis-uh-nuhns]
noun
1.
inharmonious or harsh sound; discord; cacophony.
2.
Music.
a.
a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of unrest and needing completion.
b.
an unresolved, discordant chord or interval. Compare consonance ( def 3 ). See illus. under resolution.
3.
disagreement or incongruity.

Origin:
1565–75; < Late Latin dissonantia, equivalent to disson- (see dissonant) + -antia -ance

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World English Dictionary
dissonance or dissonancy (ˈdɪsənəns) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  a discordant combination of sounds
2.  lack of agreement or consistency
3.  music
 a.  Compare consonance a sensation commonly associated with all intervals of the second and seventh, all diminished and augmented intervals, and all chords based on these intervals
 b.  an interval or chord of this kind
 
dissonancy or dissonancy
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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00:10
Dissonance is a GRE word you need to know.
So is rue. Does it mean:
to feel sorrow over or regret bitterly; to wish that something had never taken place
to caution, advise, or counsel against something.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

dissonance
1590s, from L. dissonantia, from dissonantem (see dissonant). Figurative use dates from 1875.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Cognitive dissonance is far more easily ignored than confronted.
The government has on occasion found the dissonance disconcerting.
Blowing all at once created chords of delightful dissonance.
The music moves between known harmonies and unfamiliar dissonance.
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