diminished seventh

noun

A musical interval equivalent to narrowing a minor seventh by one chromatic semitone. In twelve-tone equal temperament, it consists of nine semitones and spans seven degrees of the diatonic scale, is one semitone narrower than a minor seventh, and is enharmonically equivalent to a major sixth.

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Meanings

noundiminished seventh (plural diminished sevenths)

plural diminished sevenths

  1. entertainmentA musical interval equivalent to narrowing a minor seventh by one chromatic semitone. In twelve-tone equal temperament, it consists of nine semitones and spans seven degrees of the diatonic scale, is one semitone narrower than a minor seventh, and is enharmonically equivalent to a major sixth.
Cite this entry
APA

diminished seventh. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diminished%20seventh

MLA

“diminished seventh.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diminished%20seventh. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “diminished seventh,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diminished%20seventh.

Source: diminished seventh on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.