alto

1 of 2

noun

al·​to ˈal-(ˌ)tō 

ˈȯl-

plural altos

1

a

: countertenor

b

: contralto

2

: the second highest voice part in a 4-part chorus

3

: a member of a family of instruments having a range lower than that of the treble or soprano

especially : an alto saxophone

alto

2 of 2

adjective

: relating to or having the range or part of an alto

Examples of alto in a Sentence

Noun

She sang in her school choir as an alto.

Adjective

He plays the alto sax.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Quickly the young alto sax player, his new album Blue Blood affirming his stature as one of the rising stars of jazz, an astonishing leap from the already-brilliant work of his first two albums, realizes how that sounds. —Steve Hochman, SPIN, 21 Oct. 2024

The songs are tinged with darkness and teen angst, and her range dips and leaps between a soulful alto and fluttery falsetto. —Scottie Andrew, CNN, 11 Sep. 2024

Adjective

Lee Konitz, 92, was an alto saxophonist who was an innovative figure in jazz for more than 70 years. —Washington Post, 24 Apr. 2020

Kristen Dubenion-Smith possesses a lyric-mezzo of uncommon beauty, her flickering vibrato and the amber cast of her tone making something special out of the alto arias. —Joe Banno, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Italian, literally, high, from Latin altus

First Known Use

Noun

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

circa 1724, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing alto

• alto-relievo
• alto-rilievo
• male alto

Kids Definition

alto

noun

al·​to

ˈal-tō

plural altos

1

a

: contralto

b

: the second highest of the four voice parts of a mixed chorus compare bass entry 2 sense 1a, soprano entry 2 sense 1, tenor sense 2a

2

: the second highest member of a family of musical instruments

especially : althorn