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TONAL
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Having tonality; i.e. tones and chords organized in relation to one tone such as a keynote or tonic
Classified under:
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)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Employing variations in pitch to distinguish meanings of otherwise similar words
Example:
Chinese is a tonal language
Synonyms:
tonal; tonic
Classified under:
Relational adjectives (pertainyms)
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)
