tonality

noun

to·​nal·​i·​ty tō-ˈna-lə-tē 

plural tonalities

1

: tonal quality

2

a

: key sense 5

b

: the organization of all the tones and harmonies of a piece of music in relation to a tonic

3

: the arrangement or interrelation of the tones of a work of visual art

Examples of tonality in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With a frequency range starting at a subsonic 4Hz and extending to a bat-squeaking 96kHz, these headphones have a tonality enhanced with high-frequency sparkle but with a comfortable sound signature. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025

Neutral colors were the name of the game, accented with rich tonalities of burgundy and deep green. —Rhonda Richford, WWD, 27 Jan. 2025

At moments, the recorded strings grope toward a recognizable tonality, with trembling triads superimposed. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025

The $350 bottle is meant to evoke alpine tonalities, pulling a high proportion of liquid distilled during especially cold winters from producers located in Scotland’s most northerly reaches. —Brad Japhe, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from French tonalité, from tonal tonal + -ité -ity

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tonality

• banality
• bestiality
• brutality
• carnality
• centrality
• chirality
• duality
• fatality
• finality
• formality
• frugality
• legality

Kids Definition

tonality

noun

to·​nal·​i·​ty tō-ˈnal-ət-ē 

plural tonalities

: the character of a piece of music based on its key or on the relation of its tones and chords to a particular keynote