noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/pəˈlɪfəni/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P AH0 L IH1 F AH0 N IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice (monophony) or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords (homophony).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The quality of a text of being able to be read in more than one way.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: literature, media, publishing
Examples
the polyphony of a biblical passage
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
music arranged in parts for several voices or instruments
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: polyphonic music, concerted music
Antonyms: monophony
Broader terms: music
Narrower terms: counterpoint
History
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πολυφωνία (poluphōnía); equivalent to poly- + -phony.
Across languages
Translations
42 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
gjâmë
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Albanian:
gjëmë
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Albanian:
vajtim
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Albanian:
pleqërishte
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Albanian:
lashtërishtë
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Armenian:
պոլիֆոնիա
(polifonia)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Azerbaijani:
çoxsəslilik
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Belarusian:
поліфані́я
(polifaníja)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Belarusian:
шматгало́ссе
(šmathalóssje)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Belarusian:
мнагагало́ссе
(mnahahalóssje)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Bulgarian:
полифо́ния
(polifónija)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Bulgarian:
многогла́сие
(mnogoglásie)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Catalan:
polifonia
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Chinese Mandarin:
複音 /复音
(fùyīn)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Danish:
polyfoni
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Dutch:
polyfonie
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Finnish:
moniäänisyys
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Finnish:
polyfonia
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
French:
polyphonie
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Georgian:
პოლიფონია
(ṗoliponia)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Georgian:
მრავალხმიანობა
(mravalxmianoba)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
German:
Mehrstimmigkeit
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
German:
Polyphonie
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Greek:
πολυφωνία
(polyfonía)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Hebrew:
פוליפוניה
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Icelandic:
fjölröddun
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Icelandic:
pólýfónía
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Italian:
polifonia
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Japanese:
ポリフォニー
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Korean:
다성음악
(daseong'eumak)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Persian:
چندصدایی
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Polish:
polifonia
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Portuguese:
polifonia
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Romanian:
polifonie
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Russian:
полифони́я
(polifoníja)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Russian:
многоголо́сие
(mnogogolósije)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Slovene:
polifonija
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Spanish:
polifonía
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Swedish:
polyfoni
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Ukrainian:
поліфоні́я
(polifoníja)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Ukrainian:
багатоголо́сся
(bahatoholóssja)
— musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices
Chinese Mandarin:
複調 /复调
(fùdiào)
— quality of a text of being able to be read in more than one way
