🧩 Not essential 🎵 Not main frequency

nonfundamental

8.2

A frequency or tone that is higher than the lowest frequency in a sound

adjective
/nɒnˈfʌndəˌmɛntəl/

Specialized

: no fundamental

Musicians often use nonfundamental tones to add richness to their performances.

Examples

The presence of strong nonfundamental frequencies gave the instrument a unique timbre.
The scientist measured the nonfundamental components in the sound wave to analyze its complexity.
The nonfundamental frequencies can create complex sounds.
In music, nonfundamental harmonics add richness to the tone.
The scientist measured the nonfundamental components in the sound wave to analyze its complexity.
The presence of strong nonfundamental frequencies gave the instrument a unique timbre.
Musicians often use nonfundamental tones to add richness to their performances.

Antonyms

fundamental

Specialized

1 7.9

The lowest tone in a sound that gives the pitch

How Fundamental

fundamental

Specialized

1 7.9

nonfundamental

Specialized

8.2

subharmonic

Specialized

1 8.4

Surface Forms

nonfundamental positive

Morphology

nonfundamental = fundamental (transparent) = non + fundamental

Negation of the technical sense 'fundamental' (as in fundamental frequency) by the productive prefix 'non-'; structure is straightforward though domain-specific.

Etymology

Nonfundamental is made of non- ('not') and fundamental ('base' or 'lowest tone'), and in sound the fundamental is the main, lowest note. So nonfundamental refers to the other, higher tones or parts that are not the base and that add extra richness to the sound.