Use cadence for a felt rhythm in speech, verse, marching, rowing, or other repeated sound and motion, not for loudness or speed alone.
Use cadence for a felt rhythm in speech, verse, marching, rowing, or other repeated sound and motion, not for loudness or speed alone.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The cadence of the siren was loud. | The sound of the siren was loud. |
| The poem had a fast cadence of 80 miles per hour. | The poem had a quick cadence. |
| She spoke in a cadence beautiful. | She spoke in a beautiful cadence. |
| The cadence were calm. | The cadence was calm. |
Use cadence in music for the closing motion of a phrase, such as an authentic, half, plagal, or deceptive close.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The song's cadence is how fast it is played. | The song's cadence is how the phrase comes to a close. |
| A plagal cadence moves from V to I. | An authentic cadence moves from V to I. |
| The composer placed a final cadence before the phrase began. | The composer placed a final cadence at the end of the phrase. |
| Every chord change is a cadence. | Only a chord change that gives closure is a cadence. |
Use cadence for step rate or pedal rate, and keep it separate from speed, pace, stride length, and power.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| My running cadence is 180 miles per hour. | My running cadence is 180 steps per minute. |
| The cyclist's cadence was 90 steps per minute. | The cyclist's cadence was 90 rpm. |
| She improved cadence by taking longer strides. | She improved cadence by taking quicker, shorter steps. |
| Cadence and speed are the same number. | Cadence and speed are related but different measurements. |
Use cadence for how often a recurring activity happens, not for a single meeting, event, or deadline.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| We had one cadence yesterday. | We had one meeting yesterday. |
| The cadence of the report is 14 pages. | The length of the report is 14 pages. |
| Our weekly cadence are useful. | Our weekly cadence is useful. |
| We set a cadence tomorrow at noon. | We set a meeting for tomorrow at noon. |
Use cadence as a verb sparingly, usually in formal writing about arranging rhythm or pacing.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| He cadence the speech. | He cadenced the speech. |
| The manager cadenced the meeting for Friday. | The manager scheduled the meeting for Friday. |
| She cadenced the song louder. | She cadenced the song more evenly. |
| They will cadence. | They will set the cadence. |
Let context decide whether cadence means rhythm, musical closure, athletic rate, business frequency, or the rare verb.
Calling speed, loudness, or a single meeting a cadence blurs the word with pace, sound, and schedule.
From Middle English cadence, tied to French and Italian forms and ultimately to Latin cadere, meaning "to fall", first used of the rise and fall of speech and verse.
What does cadence mean?
Cadence most often means a measured rhythm or flow, especially in speech, verse, music, movement, or repeated activity.
What does cadence mean in music?
In music, cadence can mean the closing motion of a phrase, often a chord progression that gives complete or partial rest.
What is running cadence?
Running cadence is step rate, usually counted as the number of steps taken per minute.
What is cycling cadence?
Cycling cadence is pedal rate, usually measured in revolutions per minute.
What does meeting cadence mean?
Meeting cadence means how often recurring meetings happen, such as weekly, biweekly, or monthly.
Is cadence a verb?
Cadence is mainly a noun, but a rare formal verb means to give something rhythm or measured pacing.
Where does cadence come from?
Cadence comes through medieval European forms ultimately linked to Latin cadere, meaning "to fall".