atonal

A1T1O1N1A1L1
US/eɪˈtoʊnəl/UK/eɪˈtəʊnəl/

adjective

Lacking a tonal center or key.

Similar
unkeyed
Opposite
tonal
OriginEnglish tonal ← Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-) ← Proto-Hellenic *ə- →
UncommonScrabble 6
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Meanings

adjectiveatonal (comparative more atonal, superlative most atonal)

comparative more atonal · superlative most atonal

  1. entertainmentLacking a tonal center or key.

    Gimme some of that ol' atonal music / It lingers in my ears / Schoenberg and Alban Berg / Were the genre's pioneers

    2019, “(Gimme Some of That) Ol' Atonal Music”, performed by Merle Hazard ft. Alison Brown
  2. human sciencesNot tonal, lacking tones.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivecharacterized by avoidance of traditional western tonality

Similar
unkeyed
Opposite
tonal
Also see
unkeyed

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*ə-
  4. Ancient Greekἀ- (a-)
  5. Englisha-
  6. Englishtonal
  7. Englishatonal

From a- + tonal.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan atonal
  • atonallacking a tonal center or key (music)
Chinese Mandarin 無調性的 /无调性的
  • 無調性的 /无调性的 (wúdiàoxìng de)lacking a tonal center or key (music)
Danish atonal
  • atonallacking a tonal center or key (music)
Dutch atonaal
  • atonaallacking a tonal center or key (music)
Finnish atonaalinen, sävellajiton
  • atonaalinenlacking a tonal center or key (music)
  • sävellajitonlacking a tonal center or key (music)
French atonal
  • atonallacking a tonal center or key (music)
German atonal
  • atonallacking a tonal center or key (music)
Irish atonúil
  • atonúillacking a tonal center or key (music)
Italian atonale
  • atonalelacking a tonal center or key (music)
Polish atonalny
  • atonalnylacking a tonal center or key (music)
Portuguese atonal, atonal
  • atonallacking a tonal center or key (music)
  • atonalnot tonal, lacking tones (linguistics)
Russian атона́льный, атона́льный
  • атона́льный (atonálʹnyj)lacking a tonal center or key (music)
  • атона́льный (atonálʹnyj)not tonal, lacking tones (linguistics)
  • бесто́новый (bestónovyj)not tonal, lacking tones (linguistics)
Spanish atonal
  • atonallacking a tonal center or key (music)
Swedish atonal
  • atonallacking a tonal center or key (music)

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with atonal

monoclonalneuronaltonalzonalclonalconalbitonalazonalbizonalchronozonalmultizonaltritonal
All rhymes →

Anagrams

AltonaLatona
Cite this entry
APA

atonal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/atonal

MLA

“atonal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/atonal. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “atonal,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/atonal.

Source: atonal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.