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

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

“Blazing Saddles,” a western about racism, with farting, followed “The Twelve Chairs,” an underappreciated, serious sort of comedy and a tonal anomaly in his canon.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026

It was a tonal shift even from Monday's speech in Downing Street.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

What makes “Picnic” an enduring work of art is its tonal complexity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

The pattern was the same; only the rhythm and tonal quality were different.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck