Phrase guide

chromatic scale

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a 12-note scale including all the semitones of the octave

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: scale, musical scale

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 半音階 /半音阶 (bànyīnjiē) — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave
  • Dutch: chromatische toonladder — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave
  • Finnish: kromaattinen asteikko — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave
  • French: échelle chromatique — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave
  • Galician: escala cromática — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave
  • German: chromatische Tonleiter — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave
  • Irish: scála leath-thonach — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave
  • Japanese: 半音階 (han'onkai) — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave
  • Māori: āwhata tokitoki — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave
  • Portuguese: escala cromática — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave
  • Russian: хроматическая гамма (xromatičeskaja gamma) — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave
  • Spanish: escala cromática — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave
  • Swedish: kromatisk skala — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave
  • Tagalog: talalinggang pinayaman — a scale including all intervals of a particular tuning within an octave