atonal
Americanadjective
adjective
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Other Word Forms
- atonalism noun
- atonalistic adjective
- atonally adverb
Etymology
Origin of atonal
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For example, dissonant, atonal harmonies convey a sense of unrest.
From Seattle Times
“When people hear the word ‘microtonal,’ they think of the word ‘atonal.’
From New York Times
“The stars are kind of out there with weird time signatures and complicated harmonies. The allergens are really spacey. When the molecules themselves sing, wow, things get kind of atonal,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times
Amir ElSaffar has composed new music, an atonal jazz that Shepherd bangs out on keyboard when Pavel transitions into talky song.
From Los Angeles Times
He once played a piece for piano, violin and oboe for Milhaud that contained a melody he was ashamed to have written, as 12-point atonal music was in vogue at the time.
From Washington Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
