alto

¹ American  

[al-toh] / ˈæl toʊ /

noun

plural

altos

1. the lowest female voice; contralto.

2. the highest male voice; countertenor.

3. a singer with such a voice.

4. a musical part for such a voice.

5. the second highest of the four parts of a mixed vocal chorus, or the voices or persons singing this part.

6. the second highest instrument in a family of musical instruments, as the viola in the violin family or the althorn in the cornet family.

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or having the tonal range of the alto.

2. (of a musical instrument) second highest in a family of musical instruments.

   alto saxophone.

alto- ² American  

1. variant of alti-.

   altostratus.

---

alto ¹ British  

/ ˈæltəʊ /

noun

1. the highest adult male voice; countertenor

2. (in choral singing) a shortened form of contralto

3. a singer with such a voice

4. another name for viola 1

5. a flute, saxophone, etc, that is the third or fourth highest instrument in its group

---

adjective

1. denoting a flute, saxophone, etc, that is the third or fourth highest instrument in its group

alto- ² British  

combining form

1. high

   altocumulus

   altostratus

---

alto Cultural  

1. The lowest range of the female singing voice, also called contralto. (Compare mezzo soprano and soprano.)

---

Etymology

Origin of alto

1775–85; < Italian < Latin altus high

Explanation

An alto is a woman with a relatively low singing voice. In a choir, alto describes the lowest singing part written for a female voice. While occasionally men are described as altos — in which case, the word describes a fairly high pitched singing voice — it more often describes a woman whose voice is lower than a soprano. The word alto can also refer to other instruments, including saxophones and flutes, at specific pitches. Alto originally described a man's high voice, from a Latin root, altus, or "high."

Example Sentences

But to see instrumentalists like Lakecia Benjamin who has really come to the forefront as an alto saxophonist and to see her get Grammy nominations, that’s something that, for me, is huge.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

Immanuel Wilkins’s alto saxophone and Joel Ross’s vibraphone initially function as dual narrators.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025

“Chulahoma” is riveting for Mr. Sewell’s lines, which are alternately gritty and soaring, and for Mr. Lloyd’s playing, which hints at the blues-based melodicism of yet another dear, departed friend, the alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025

I was in marching band when I was in high school, I played the alto saxophone.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2025

Next to an alto she sang alto, by a soprano, soprano.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez