counterpoint
/ˈkaʊntərˌpɔɪnt/ · coun·ter·point
noun
- In music, a melodic line that is sounded simultaneously with another, creating harmonic contrast through independent movement. The fugue’s intricate counterpoint weaves three distinct voices into a single, cohesive texture.
- A contrasting element, argument, or theme that highlights differences when placed alongside another. The essay uses the protagonist’s optimism as a counterpoint to the bleak setting of the war‑torn city.
verb
- To set one idea, melody, or argument against another in order to highlight contrast. She counterpoints the harsh statistics with personal testimonies to humanize the report.
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Did you know? The classic treatise on musical counterpoint, Johann Joseph Fux’s *Gradus ad Parnassum* (1725), taught composers to write ‘point against point’, a method still studied in conservatories worldwide.