chordal

adjective

chord·​al ˈkȯr-dᵊl How to pronounce chordal (audio)
Synonyms of chordalnext
1
: of, relating to, or suggesting a chord
2
: relating to music characterized more by harmony than by counterpoint

Examples of chordal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
It can be strummed, plucked, played for chordal accompaniment or virtuosic runs. — John Adamian, courant.com, 4 Oct. 2019 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 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 The Italian Jewish composer Salamone Rossi set Psalm 112 in Hebrew, in mainly chordal antiphony. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 2 Mar. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chordal was in 1848

Browse Nearby Words

chordacentrum
chordal
chordal pitch
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chordal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chordal. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

chordal

adjective
chord·​al ˈkȯrd-ᵊl How to pronounce chordal (audio)
: of or relating to an anatomical cord (as the notochord or spinal cord)
—used chiefly in combination
perichordal
chordally
-ē How to pronounce chordal (audio)
adverb

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