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A cadence moving from dominant to tonic (V–I). "Perfect" authentic cadence has root-position chords with the melody ending on the tonic.
The perfect authentic cadence (PAC) is the strongest possible conclusion. Use it at the end of sections and movements. Imperfect authentic cadences (IAC — with inversions or melody not on tonic) give a weaker sense of closure, useful for mid-phrase arrivals.
Beethoven, Symphony No. 5, finale: the closing Presto drives home C major with dominant–tonic cadences struck again and again, then sustains the tonic chord alone for bar after bar — the authentic cadence turned into a whole ending.
Authentic cadence is one of 1760 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary: the words, abbreviations and instrument names that appear in printed scores, plus the vocabulary composers use to talk about them.
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