discord

I. noun Etymology: Middle English descorde, discord, from Anglo-French descorde, from Latin discordia, from discord-, discors Date: 13th century 1. a. lack of agreement or harmony (as between persons, things, or ideas) b. active quarreling or conflict resulting from discord among persons or factions ; strife 2. a. (1) a combination of musical sounds that strikes the ear harshly (2) dissonance b. a harsh or unpleasant sound Synonyms: discord, strife, conflict, contention, dissension, variance mean a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony. discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism <

a political party long racked by discord

>. strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved <

during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife

>. conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires <

the conflict of freedom and responsibility

>. contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy <

several points of contention about the new zoning law

>. dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions <

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

>. variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest <

cultural variances that work against a national identity

>. II. intransitive verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French descorder, from Latin discordare, from discord-, discors discordant, from dis- + cord-, cor heart — more at heart Date: 14th century disagree, clash