Harmonize

Harmonize, or harmonise in British English, is a verb meaning to bring into harmony or agreement by adjustment. The related noun harmonization (or harmonisation) refers to the act or process of achieving harmony. The word stems from harmony, from Latin harmonia and Greek harmonia, originally signaling fitting parts into a coherent whole.

In music, to harmonize a melody is to accompany it with chords or additional voices that support and blend with the melody. Harmonization involves voice-leading and chord progressions to create a consonant texture, and can describe both the act of adding harmony and the resulting musical balance.

In law, governance, and international policy, harmonization refers to aligning laws, regulations, standards, or procedures across jurisdictions or organizations. The aim is to reduce conflict, facilitate cooperation, and improve interoperability. Examples include the harmonization of accounting standards, product safety rules, and data privacy frameworks.

In information management and data engineering, data harmonization is the process of integrating data from diverse sources into a unified representation, resolving differences in schema, terminology, and quality so that data can be combined and analyzed effectively.

In design and aesthetics, harmony refers to the pleasing and balanced alignment of colors, typography, and layout. Harmonized design elements create visual coherence and reduce tension or discord.

Usage notes: common phrases include harmonize with, harmonize standards, and harmonize melodies. The spelling harmonize is American; harmonise is British.