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
Tying everything together is a gripping score by Philip Glass, with Paul Leonard-Morgan, a breathlessly atonal composition that simultaneously is unsettling and puts fans instantly at home in an Errol Morris film.
—
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2023
Murky, atonal music swells into collections of chords that resembles human moans.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2023
The band’s twangy guitar sounds, droning vocals and loping rhythms mesh perfectly with the often atonal score composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and sound designer Ren Klyce’s unsettling soundscape, which features subsonic, insectoid rumbles that may induce Havana Syndrome in some viewers.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2023
When quirkily melodious new wave tried to make punk cute, the Bowery gobbled it all up and puked up atonal filth-art no wave.
—Jonathan Rowe, Spin, 11 Aug. 2023
There are a lot of atonal, amelodic ways of being in it that were just wholly improvisational and textural.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 21 June 2023
Too many scenes were undone by an aspiration to be both flimsy and profound: the comedy felt as atonal as the tragedy.
—Hazlitt, 17 May 2023
Assembled by a brain trust that includes Tizrah’s longtime collaborator, the experimental pop artist Mica Levi; her partner, the producer Kwake Bass; and the musician Coby Sey, the record finds elegance in atonal production and the intertwining of the digital and the natural.
—Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2021
Moments of crushing atonal brutality are followed by torch-song melodies, pastoral chords, and bird-songs with surprising clarity, authenticity, and purpose.
—Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2023
See More
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2023
Murky, atonal music swells into collections of chords that resembles human moans.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2023
The band’s twangy guitar sounds, droning vocals and loping rhythms mesh perfectly with the often atonal score composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and sound designer Ren Klyce’s unsettling soundscape, which features subsonic, insectoid rumbles that may induce Havana Syndrome in some viewers.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2023
When quirkily melodious new wave tried to make punk cute, the Bowery gobbled it all up and puked up atonal filth-art no wave.
—Jonathan Rowe, Spin, 11 Aug. 2023
There are a lot of atonal, amelodic ways of being in it that were just wholly improvisational and textural.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 21 June 2023
Too many scenes were undone by an aspiration to be both flimsy and profound: the comedy felt as atonal as the tragedy.
—Hazlitt, 17 May 2023
Assembled by a brain trust that includes Tizrah’s longtime collaborator, the experimental pop artist Mica Levi; her partner, the producer Kwake Bass; and the musician Coby Sey, the record finds elegance in atonal production and the intertwining of the digital and the natural.
—Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2021
Moments of crushing atonal brutality are followed by torch-song melodies, pastoral chords, and bird-songs with surprising clarity, authenticity, and purpose.
—Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'atonal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
a- entry 2 + tonal
First Known Use
1911, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near atonal
Cite this Entry
“Atonal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atonal. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
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Kids 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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