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

Pay special attention to your pace of speech, filler word usage, pauses, power word usage, tonality and question relevance. —Pamela Skillings, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

Photographers will create a Preset, or dozens of Presets, that alter the overall tonality of a photo so that everything with that Preset has a consistent feel. —Jakob Schiller, Outside Online, 18 Sep. 2024

Growth with 'Gabby & Friends' Gabby & Friends stays true to Gabby’s Dollhouse’s growth mindset tonality. —Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 16 Oct. 2024

Inside, a calm, modern feel connects the spacious minimalist interiors in a homogenous tonality of white and cream. —Nielsen Dinwoodie, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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