Meaning & use
fugue
Last updated
A musical composition in which a theme is introduced and then repeated in overlapping voices; also, a rare psychological state involving memory loss and unplanned travel.
See it in a sentence
Bach's organ fugues are famous for weaving multiple melodic lines together.
During the dissociative fugue, the man had no memory of the days he'd spent traveling.
A note on using this word
The musical sense (a structured, layered composition) and the psychological sense ("fugue state," a rare escape from one's identity) are quite different, so context matters.
Another way to use it
2. noun
A rare psychological state in which a person temporarily loses their sense of identity and often wanders away from their usual life.
Doctors struggled to explain the sudden fugue that left her unable to recall her own name.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fugue”, then compare your use with the examples above.