# syncopation

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌsɪŋ.kəˈpeɪ.ʃən/ · frequency rank #88,907

## Definitions
1. The contraction of a word by means of loss or omission of sounds or syllables in the middle thereof.
2. The quality of a rhythm being somehow unexpected, in that it deviates from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak beats in a meter.

## Etymology
From syncopate + -ion. The phonological sense was first attested in English in the 1530's, the musical sense in the 1590's.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/syncopation