antiphonal

[ an-tif-uh-nl ]

/ ænˈtɪf ə nl /

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adjective

pertaining to antiphons or antiphony; responsive.

noun

an antiphonary.

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Origin of antiphonal

First recorded in 1685–95; antiphon + -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM antiphonal

an·tiph·o·nal·ly, adverb

Words nearby antiphonal

antiperistalsis, antipersonnel, antiperspirant, antiphlogistic, antiphon, antiphonal, antiphonary, antiphony, antiphrasis, Antiphus, anti-pill

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use antiphonal in a sentence

The war was not the only cause of the necessity of Mademoiselle Simone's opposition to antiphonal Gregorian singing.
Riviera Towns|Herbert Adams Gibbons
And spontaneously there rose an antiphonal pantun, or song of war.
Cursed|George Allan England
The wolves in the valley near-by howled ceaseless responses in this remarkable antiphonal chorus.
The Awakening of the Desert|Julius C. Birge
It rumbles like thunder, falling and rising as it rolls onwards; it is antiphonal, but changes as it travels nearer.
Birds and Man|W. H. Hudson

It is, however, in most cases very difficult to know whether the hymn is actually antiphonal or not.
The Assyrian and Hebrew Hymns of Praise|Charles Gordon Cumming

British Dictionary definitions for antiphonal

antiphonal

/ (ænˈtɪfənəl) /

adjective

sung or recited in alternation

noun

another word for antiphonary

Derived forms of antiphonal

antiphonally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012