po·lyph·o·ny / pəˈlifənē/ • n. (pl. -nies) Mus. the style of simultaneously combining a number of parts, each forming an individual melody and harmonizing with each other. ∎  a composition written, played, or sung in this style. ∎  (on an electronic keyboard or synthesizer) the number of notes or voices that can be played simultaneously without loss.DERIVATIVES: pol·y·pho·nist / -fənist/ n.pol·y·pho·nous / -fənəs/ adj.

polyphony Vocal or instrumental part music in which the compositional interest centres on the ‘horizontal’ aspect of each moving part rather than on the ‘vertical’ structure of chords. The golden age of polyphonic music was the 16th century, and masters of that time included Giovanni Palestrina and William Byrd.

polyphony (Gr.). Many sounds. Mus. in which several simultaneous v. or instr. parts are combined contrapuntally, as opposed to monophonic mus. (single melody) or homophonic mus. (one melodic line, the other parts acting as acc.). In historical terms, polyphonic era is defined as 13th–16th cents., but polyphony survived beyond 1700.