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

Keep things on the tonal side with swirls of black, dark blue, light blue, lavender, and white. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 29 June 2026

To avoid a flat, monotone look, play with color and create tonal contrast. — Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 July 2026

Auralee, Celine and Dries Van Noten showed full tonal looks in blues, pinks, and soft yellows. — Christina Holevas, Vogue, 5 July 2026

Poopsie’s smile was the beat of visual humor that gave the bit the tonal shift that was missing from its initial narrative construction. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 2 July 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