counterpoint
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counterpoint¹
- /ˈkaʊntə(ɹ)ˌpɔɪnt/
Where it comes from
Inherited from Middle English [Term?], from Middle French contrepoint, from Medieval Latin contrāpūnctum. Equivalent to counter- + point.
noun counterpoints
- 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. 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.
- Any similar contrasting element in a work of art. 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.
- An opposite point. […] Priests; who affecting in them selves and their followers a certein Angelical puritie, fell sodainly to the very counterpoint of justifying bestialitie.
Similar: contrapuntal music, polyphony
verb counterpoints · counterpointing · counterpointed
- To compose or arrange such music.
- To serve as an opposing point against. […] the dominant discourse on theory and method in the study of religions remains stuck on the debate about reductionism, which is in turn bent on representing the debate about theory and method in the study of religions as a choice between an unscientific phenomenology or an unsympathetic positivis
counterpoint²
- /ˈkaʊntə(ɹ)ˌpɔɪnt/
Where it comes from
From Old French contrepointe, a corruption of coultepointe, from Latin culcita puncta, i.e. a stitched pillow or cover. See quilt.
noun counterpoints
- Obsolete form of counterpane
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: contrast, counterpart, contrasts, antithesis, foil, complement, counterbalance, opposition, juxtaposition, contradiction, inverse, balance, disparity, divergence, variance, difference
noun
Similar: contrapuntal music, polyphony
Translations
Every language
noun (music) a melody added to an existing one
| Español | contrapunto |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 対位法 taiihō |
| 中文 | 對位法 /对位法 duìwèifǎ |
| Português | contraponto |
| Français | contrepoint |
| Deutsch | Kontrapunkt |
| Italiano | contrappunto |
| Ελληνικά | εναρμόνιση enarmónisi |
| Română | contrapunct |
| Русский | контрапу́нкт kontrapúnkt |
noun an opposite point
| Español | contrapunto |
|---|---|
| Português | contraponto |
verb (transitive) to compose or arrange such music
| Deutsch | kontrapunktieren |
|---|
Talk about this word "counterpoint." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/counterpoint. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. counterpoint. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/counterpoint "counterpoint." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/counterpoint.Cite this
@misc{counterpoint_2026,
title = {counterpoint},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/counterpoint},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
