tonal
tonal Lexical Profile
tonal Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to the tone of music, sound, or voice; specifically, written in or based on a musical key or system of tonality.
"The composer transitioned from traditional tonal harmonies to more experimental, dissonant structures."
Relating to the tone, shade, or value of a color in painting, photography, or design.
"The photograph is celebrated for its subtle tonal variations between deep shadow and bright highlight."
(of a language) Using variations in pitch to distinguish the lexical or grammatical meaning of words.
"Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese are prominent examples of tonal languages."
• Rhymes for tonal
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the late 18th century, derived from Medieval Latin tonalis, from Latin tonus ('sound, tone'), and ultimately from Ancient Greek tonos ('a stretching, pitch of voice, musical note').