counterpoint
/ˈkaʊntə(ɹ)ˌpɔɪnt/
counterpoint means A melody added to an existing one, especially one added to provide harmony whilst each retains its simultaneous identity; a composition consisting of such contrapuntal melodies. It carries an Arena rating of 2039, earned across 47 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, counterpoint ranks #55 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #591 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #710 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #1,023 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words.
counterpoint is pronounced /ˈkaʊntə(ɹ)ˌpɔɪnt/.
Why “counterpoint” is a great word
Counterpoint is the art of adding a distinct melody to an existing one, where each maintains its identity while combining to form a harmonious whole, or any similar interplay of contrasting elements in art. From Middle French contrepoint, from Medieval Latin contrāpūnctum ("point against point"), from Latin contrā ("against") + pūnctum ("point, note"). Unlike "polyphony," a general term for multiple independent lines, counterpoint is the precise technique governing their disciplined interplay; unlike "juxtaposition," which places elements side-by-side for contrast, counterpoint demands an integrated, interdependent tension. It is the fugue's meticulous chase of voices, the brushstroke that defines a shape by opposing it, and the quiet, reasoned argument that gives depth to a chorus of agreement—a structured dissonance that creates a richer kind of unity, where difference does not dissolve but deepens the whole.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English [Term?], from Middle French contrepoint, from Medieval Latin contrāpūnctum. Equivalent to counter- + point.
noun
- A melody added to an existing one, especially one added to provide harmony whilst each retains its simultaneous identity; a composition consisting of such contrapuntal melodies.e.g.“I noticed […] that when a very cheesy synthesized violin sound plays in counterpoint with a real violin, it can quite convincingly seem as if two violins are playing.” — 2009, Roger T. Dean, The Oxford Handbook of Computer Music:
- Any similar contrasting element in a work of art.e.g.“As counterpoints to the glamorous looks of 1980s models such as Chistie Brinkley and Heidi Klum, heroin chic looks such as Kate Moss were thin to the point of anorectic gauntness.” — 2014, Nancy M. Marion, Willard M. Oliver, Drugs In American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics and the Law, page 188:
- An opposite point.e.g.“[…] Priests; who affecting in them selves and their followers a certein Angelical puritie, fell sodainly to the very counterpoint of justifying bestialitie.” — 1605, Sir Edwin Sandys, Europae Speculum [A Relation of the State of Religion in Europe], in Mary Ellen Henley, Sir Edwin Sandy's Europae Speculum: a Critical Edition (2001)
verb
- To compose or arrange such music.
- To serve as an opposing point against.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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