Resonance
/ˈrɛz.ən.əns/noun
The quality of a sound, object, or system that is amplified by vibration or a matching frequency.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin *resonare*, meaning “to sound again,” and its root *sonus* also gave English words like *sonic*, *consonant*, and *dissonance*—all built on the ancient idea that sound can align, clash, or echo power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swen-
“to sound, make noise”
Latin
Latin
sonus
“sound, noise, tone”
Latin
Latin
resonare
“to sound again, echo, ring back”
Late Latin
Latin
resonantia
“a resounding, echoing”
14th Century
English
resonance
“the quality or state of resounding or echoing”
Modern English
English
resonance
“the amplification or sympathetic vibration of a sound or system”