chordal

adjective

Definition of chordalnext
as in harmonic

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of chordal Probably because at the time many of the time signatures and chordal progressions that Miles used were over the head of a young guitar player still functioning in the blues and folk idioms. — Steve Baltin, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026 Hudson buttressed Al Kooper’s original organ part into a chordal fortress, part of an incendiary performance that surges to peak after peak. — Jon Pareles, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025 The Italian Jewish composer Salamone Rossi set Psalm 112 in Hebrew, in mainly chordal antiphony. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 2 Mar. 2020 It can be strummed, plucked, played for chordal accompaniment or virtuosic runs. — John Adamian, courant.com, 4 Oct. 2019 Leven effortlessly pivoted back and forth between cozying up to Stepner’s line and joining the lower strings’ strong chordal figures, adding a soloistic glimmer on occasion. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 1 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chordal
  1. harmonic
  2. tonal
  3. orchestral
  4. rhythmic
  5. polyphonic
  6. homophonic
Adjective
  • Ziggy Marley was headlining the show with Burning Spear, and the air was thick with the sound of harmonic lineage.
    — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But at times, the caliber of their technical and harmonic choices sounds arty and sophisticated.
    — Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of harmonic
Adjective
  • But their fervor ironically winds up being counterproductive, yielding a jumbled tonal mess that feels deadly serious one moment and like parody the next.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In the process, American comedy went from being a writer’s medium, conceptual and self-aware, to a more tonal form that rewarded actors’ screen presence and sense of timing.
    — Dan Brooks, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of tonal
Adjective
  • The Lynn Philharmonia, under the direction of Maestro Jon Robertson, presents inaugural pops concert gala featuring some of America’s most iconic orchestral music.
    — Mike Hamersly, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The band is reaching further beyond its guitar-rock foundations, pushing deeper into electronic moodiness and orchestral sweep in songs that feel more designed than banged out.
    — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of orchestral
Adjective
  • The neon kangaroo flickered, releasing a rhythmic, neon buzz.
    — Larry Padgett, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Even the outro gives that familiar groove one final twist, carrying the chorus’ melodic and rhythmic framework into new lyrics rather than simply repeating the chorus again.
    — David Penn, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of rhythmic
Adjective
  • In polyphonic music such as Bach, Van Bloss offers a superhuman degree of precision and individuality.
    — Mike Hamersly, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Dja Dja comprises 14 songs of polyphonic glitz, MIDI fugues, and Balinese gamelan to form an epic suite spanning ancient timbres and hectic sound design, pure pop and a beguiling avant-garde.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of polyphonic
Adjective
  • In this grid, the revealer is at 57-Across, clued with [Hides one’s central point, in a way … with a doubly homophonic hint to 20-, 30-, 38- and 48-Across].
    — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • My introduction to homophonic translation came from my former teacher, Mónica de la Torre.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Jan. 2026
Definition of homophonic

Browse Nearby Words

chord
chordal
chorded
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Cite this Entry

“Chordal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chordal. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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