atonal
adjective
aton·al
(ˌ)ā-ˈtō-nᵊl 
(ˌ)a-
: marked by avoidance of traditional musical tonality
especially
: organized without reference to key or tonal center and using the tones of the chromatic scale impartially
Examples of atonal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With Stires’s guidance, Anastasio began writing atonal fugues.
—
Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Gradually, the music mutates into something more alien: off-key chiming of a clock, percussive piano clanking and plucking, atonal saxophone solos that sound as if an instrument is being dropped.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
Right from the start, there’s a neo-noir like feel to Gerster’s suspenseful portrait, accentuated by its atonal and slightly disconcerting score.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 16 Feb. 2025
The atmosphere is enhanced by the hand-in-hand elements of Damian Volpe’s heavy soundscape and Robin Carolan’s moody score, which ranges from symphonic grandeur to agitato strings, pipes and horns specific to the region at that time to queasy atonal groans.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for atonal
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Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Gradually, the music mutates into something more alien: off-key chiming of a clock, percussive piano clanking and plucking, atonal saxophone solos that sound as if an instrument is being dropped.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
Right from the start, there’s a neo-noir like feel to Gerster’s suspenseful portrait, accentuated by its atonal and slightly disconcerting score.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 16 Feb. 2025
The atmosphere is enhanced by the hand-in-hand elements of Damian Volpe’s heavy soundscape and Robin Carolan’s moody score, which ranges from symphonic grandeur to agitato strings, pipes and horns specific to the region at that time to queasy atonal groans.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for atonal
Cite this Entry
“Atonal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atonal. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
atonal
adjective
aton·al
(ˈ)ā-ˈtōn-əl
(ˈ)a-
: being music written without traditional organization based on a scale
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