unison

See also: UNISON

English

Etymology

From Middle English unisoun, from Middle French unisson, from Medieval Latin unisonus (“having the same sound”), from Latin uni- + sonus (“sound”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjunɨsən/, /ˈjunɨzən/

Noun

unison (usually uncountable, plural unisons)

1. The state of being together, in harmony, at the same time, as one, synchronized.

   Everyone moved in unison, but the sudden change in weight distribution capsized the boat.

2. (music) The simultaneous playing of an identical note more than once.
   • 2007 July 16, James R. Oestreich, “With Levine as Tour Guide, a Journey Through Mahler’s Third Symphony”, in New York Times^[1]:

     The young principal timpanist, Timothy Genis, was superb throughout, though his sidekick timpanist sometimes lagged in the final unisons.

   The unison has a pitch ratio of 1:1.

Abbreviations

• (in music): P1

Derived terms

Derived terms

• unisonal
• unisonance

• unisonant
• unisonous

Translations

the state of being together, in harmony, at the same time

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 一致 (zh), 和谐 (zh), 和諧 (zh)

• Irish: comhréir f
• Russian: согла́сие (ru) n (soglásije)

music: the simultaneous playing of an identical note more than once

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 同音 (zh), 齐唱 (zh), 齊唱 (zh), 齐奏 (zh), 齊奏 (zh)

• French: unisson (fr) m
• Irish: comh-airde f, aoncheol m, aontacht f

• Italian: unisono (it) m
• Russian: унисо́н (ru) m (unisón)
• Swedish: samråd (sv) c

Anagrams

• Unions, nonius, unions

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Swedish

Play media

20.000 sjöngo unisont (1937), the sing-along at Skansen

Adjective

unison (not comparable)

1. in unison (of song)

   unison sång

   sing-along

Declension

Inflection of unison
Indefinite/attributive	Positive	Comparative	Superlative2
Common singular	unison	—	—
Neuter singular	unisont	—	—
Plural	unisona	—	—
Definite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Masculine singular1	unisone	—	—
All	unisona	—	—
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in an attributive role.