polyphony

UK: /pəˈlɪfənɪ/ US: /pəˈlɪfəni/ ,(pə lif′ə nē)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

po•lyph•o•ny /pəˈlɪfəni/   n. [uncountable]

1. Music and Dance a musical style in which two or more independent and harmonious melodic lines are heard at the same time.

pol•y•phon•ic /ˌpɑliˈfɑnɪk/  adj. 
pol•y•phon•i•cal•ly, adv. See -phon-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

po•lyph•o•ny  (pə lif′ə nē), n. 

1. Music and Dance polyphonic composition;
   counterpoint.
2. Phonetics representation of different sounds by the same letter or symbol.

• Greek polyphōnía variety of tones. See poly-, -phony
• 1820–30

po•lyph′o•nous, adj. 
po•lyph′o•nous•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

polyphony / pəˈlɪfənɪ/ noun ( -nies)

1. polyphonic style of composition or a piece of music utilizing it
2. the use of polyphones in a writing system

Etymology: 19th Century: from Greek poluphōnia diversity of tones, from poly- + phōnē speech, sound

poˈlyphonous adjective