What does cadence mean?
Cadence refers to the rhythmic rise and fall of sound — most commonly the natural modulation of the voice in speech, but also the harmonic formulas that close phrases in music and the steady beat of marching feet. Derived from the Latin verb 'cadere,' meaning to fall, the word originally captured the sense of something settling or coming down at the end of a movement. In everyday usage it lends a literary, slightly formal flavour: writers speak of the cadence of a sentence, orators of a measured cadence that persuades an audience. Musicians use it technically to name the chord progressions — perfect, plagal, deceptive — that signal an ending. Figuratively, cadence describes any recurring rhythm or pattern, from the cadence of seasons to the cadence of work life. Its blend of musical precision and expressive flexibility makes it valuable wherever rhythm, flow, and resolution matter.
nounA rhythmic flow of sounds or words, especially the rise and fall of the voice in speech; more broadly, a regular pattern or sequence with a characteristic falling close, as at the end of a musical phrase or passage.
- A modulation or inflection of the voice; the rhythmic rise and fall of sound in speaking or reading aloud.
- In music, a sequence of chords or melodic formula that brings a phrase, section, or piece to a close (e.g. a perfect or plagal cadence).
- A regular, rhythmic beat or rate of movement — as of marching troops or pedalling cyclists.
- A general pattern, rhythm, or sequence of events or activity (figurative use, e.g. 'the cadence of daily life').
"The senator delivered her closing remarks in a calm, measured cadence that held the room."
"She read the poem aloud, letting each line end on a soft, descending cadence."
"The drill sergeant set an unrelenting cadence for the recruits' morning run."
The plural typically refers either to multiple instances of a rhythmic pattern or to the recurring rhythmic contours of a speaker's or writer's prose.
"The essayist's cadences were unmistakable, rising gently before each deliberate close."
Cadence comes from the Latin 'cadere,' meaning 'to fall' — so every time your voice falls at the end of a sentence, you're literally hearing the word's original meaning in action.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cadence
Cadence derives from the Latin 'cadentia,' a falling, from the verb 'cadere,' meaning to fall. It entered English via Middle French in the late medieval period, first appearing in English in the fourteenth century in reference to the fall of the voice in recitation. Its musical sense — a closing progression of chords — developed alongside its use for rhythmic flow in verse and prose. It shares its Latin root with words such as 'accident,' 'incident,' 'occasion,' and 'decadent,' all of which involve falling, happening, or befalling.
Related word forms
How cadence is actually used
Cadence carries slightly formal, literary overtones when applied to speech and writing, and technical precision in music theory, where specific types (perfect, plagal, deceptive) are named. In American military usage it also denotes the call-and-response running songs sung by troops, sometimes spelled 'cadence call.' The plural 'cadences' often refers to recurring rhythmic patterns rather than multiple instances.
Easily confused with cadence
A chord is a group of notes sounded together, whereas a cadence is a sequence of chords or melodic movement that closes a musical phrase.
Rhythm is the general pattern of beats or stresses, while cadence refers specifically to the flowing rise and fall — often the concluding fall — of sound or speech.