TONAL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does tonal mean? 

• TONAL (adjective)
  The adjective TONAL has 2 senses:

1. employing variations in pitch to distinguish meanings of otherwise similar words

2. having tonality; i.e. tones and chords organized in relation to one tone such as a keynote or tonic

  Familiarity information: TONAL used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TONAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Employing variations in pitch to distinguish meanings of otherwise similar words

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

tonal; tonic

Context example:

Chinese is a tonal language

Pertainym:

tone ((linguistics) a pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages)

Derivation:

tone ((linguistics) a pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Having tonality; i.e. tones and chords organized in relation to one tone such as a keynote or tonic

Similar:

keyed (set to a key or tone)

diatonic (based on or using the five tones and two semitones of the major or minor scales of western music)

polytonal (using more than one key or tonality simultaneously)

toned (having or characterized or distinguished by tone or a specific tone; often used in combination)

tonic (relating to or being the keynote of a major or minor scale)

Domain category:

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Antonym:

atonal (characterized by avoidance of traditional western tonality)

Derivation:

tonality (any of 24 major or minor diatonic scales that provide the tonal framework for a piece of music)

tone ((music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound))

tone (a steady sound without overtones)

 Context examples 

It’s when we added tonal structure to the sounds that some of these same regions of the human brain became more responsive, said Dr. Conway.

(Our brains appear uniquely tuned for musical pitch, National Institutes of Health)

Slightly raising the volume of the tonal sounds had little effect on the tone sensitivity observed in the brains of two monkeys.

(Our brains appear uniquely tuned for musical pitch, National Institutes of Health)