tonal

adjective

ton·​al ˈtō-nᵊl 

1

: of or relating to tone, tonality, or tonicity

2

: having tonality

tonally

ˈtō-nᵊl-ē 

adverb

Examples of tonal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There's a tricky tonal balance in treating the lawyers' gasp-inducing ruthlessness as entertaining and even amusing while also allowing its consequences to be clear. — Linda Holmes, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026

To pair the piece with Celine’s more tailored pieces like the trousers and blouse added a tonal contrast that still executed on its luxury aesthetic, though with a touch of rebellion. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

Brown handbags are being framed as a warmer alternative to the standard black bag, while tonal dressing extends the palette across entire outfits. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026

But the show’s core constitution doesn’t leave much wiggle room for genre experiments, let alone tonal shifts into full-on song-and-dance mode. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

tone entry 1 + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tonal

• clonal
• sonal
• zonal
• atonal
• coronal
• hormonal
• umbonal
• veronal
• embryonal
• monoclonal
• polyclonal

Kids Definition

tonal

adjective

ton·​al ˈtōn-ᵊl 

: of or relating to a musical tone

tonally

-ᵊl-ē 

adverb