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

Derived Forms

• tonally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of tonal

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

Example Sentences

Twenty internationally acclaimed pianists were asked to play notes while intentionally producing contrasting tonal qualities, including bright versus dark and light versus heavy sounds.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

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

“To experience all the emotional and tonal registers that she’s capable of.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Bulges in the rock implied bulk, and tonal shading with earth-tone pigments lent contour and perspective.

From "The Annotated Mona Lisa" by Carol Strickland and John Boswell