concinnity

noun

con·​cin·​ni·​ty kən-ˈsi-nə-tē How to pronounce concinnity (audio)
plural concinnities
: harmony or elegance of design especially of literary style in adaptation of parts to a whole or to each other

Did you know?

The Romans apparently found perfect harmony in a well-mixed drink. The cocktail in question was a beverage they called "cinnus," and so agreeably concordant did they find it that its name apparently inspired the formation of "concinnare," a verb meaning "to place fitly together." "Concinnare" gave rise to concinnus, meaning "skillfully put together," which in turn fermented into "concinnitas." English speakers added the word to our mix in the 1500s as "concinnity."

Examples of concinnity in a Sentence

a choral work admired for its seamless concinnity of music and dance
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Novak was delighted by this concinnity, and even more delighted by the treatments on offer that day at the storefront franchise spa concept. New York Times, 12 Oct. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Latin concinnitas, from concinnus skillfully put together

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of concinnity was in 1531

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near concinnity

Cite this Entry

“Concinnity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concinnity. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!