- Lack of agreement among persons, groups, or things.
- Tension or strife resulting from a lack of agreement; dissension.
- A confused or harsh sound or mingling of sounds.
- Music. An inharmonious combination of simultaneously sounded tones; a dissonance.
To fail to agree or harmonize; clash.
[Middle English, from Old French descorde, from Latin discordia, from discors, discord-, disagreeing : dis-, apart; see dis– + cor, cord-, heart.]
SYNONYMS discord, strife, contention, dissension, conflict, clash, variance. These nouns refer to a state of disagreement and disharmony. Discord is a lack of harmony often marked by bickering and antipathy: family discord. Strife usually implies a struggle, often destructive, between rivals or factions: political strife. Contention suggests a dispute in the form of heated debate or quarreling: lively contention among the candidates. Dissension implies difference of opinion that disrupts unity within a group: rampant dissension among the staff. Conflict suggests antagonism of ideas or interests that often results in hostility or divisiveness: conflict between smoking and nonsmoking factions. Clash involves irreconcilable ideas or interests: a personality clash. Variance usually suggests discrepancy or incompatibility: actions at variance with his principles.
