ósamræmis

Ósamræmi is the term for the state or quality of lacking harmony or agreement among components, ideas, or systems. In Icelandic, the form ósamræmis is the genitive of ósamræmi. The word combines a negation prefix with samræmi, meaning harmony or concord, yielding “not in harmony.” It is used across disciplines to describe a misalignment or contradiction between elements that should align.

In logic and philosophy, ósamræmi refers to inconsistency within a set of propositions or beliefs, where contradictory statements cannot all be true simultaneously. In such cases, rational inquiry aims to restore coherence by removing or resolving the conflicting elements.

In music, ósamræmi is often translated as dissonance: a lack of consonant harmony between notes, chords, or rhythmic structures that creates tension awaiting resolution to a more stable harmony.

In practical contexts such as policy, law, design, or data management, ósamræmi describes misalignment between rules, practices, or data elements. Examples include a policy that claims to be universal but excludes defined groups, or data fields that do not match across a database, causing errors or inconsistent reporting.

Ósamræmi is a concern for analysis and communication because it reduces clarity and efficiency. Addressing ósamræmi typically involves clarifying definitions, aligning components, or reconciling conflicting requirements.

See also samræmi, inconsistency, dissonance, harmony.