tonal

American  

[tohn-l] / ˈtoʊn l /

adjective

Music.

1. pertaining to or having tonality.

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tonal British  

/ ˈtəʊnəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to tone

2. of, relating to, or utilizing the diatonic system; having an established key Compare atonal

3. 1. (of an answer in a fugue) not having the same melodic intervals as the subject, so as to remain in the original key

   2. denoting a fugue as having such an answer Compare real 1

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Other Word Forms

• tonally adverb

Etymology

Origin of tonal

1770–80; < Medieval Latin tonālis . See tone, -al ¹

Example Sentences

Any detectable tonal noise, he added, must be considered an unreasonable threat to public health.

From Salon • Apr. 27, 2026

Setting up the business in 1967 he sought to design and build amplifiers with key "tonal" characteristics that were unheard of at the time, namely distortion.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The series is both watchable and trying, given its many tonal shifts and an able, attractive cast, some of whom are assigned to play quite annoying people.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

It features 26 paintings, oil sketches and drawings, these last done in Conté crayon, a medium made from powdered graphite and carbon black that allowed deeper blacks and more expressive tonal contrasts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

From the Renaissance to the present day, most Western music has tended to be tonal.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones