plagal

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈpleɪɡəl/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(plā′gəl)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
pla•gal  (plā′gəl),USA pronunciation adj. [Music.]
  1. Music and Dance(of a Gregorian mode) having the final in the middle of the compass. Cf. authentic (def. 5a).
  • Medieval Latin plagālis, equivalent. to plag(a) plagal mode (apparently back formation from plagius plagal; see plage) + -ālis -al1
  • 1590–1600

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
plagal /ˈpleɪɡəl/ adj
  1. (of a cadence) progressing from the subdominant to the tonic chord, as in the Amen of a hymn
  2. (of a mode) commencing upon the dominant of an authentic mode, but sharing the same final as the authentic mode. Plagal modes are designated by the prefix Hypo- before the name of their authentic counterparts

Compare authenticEtymology: 16th Century: from Medieval Latin plagālis, from plaga, perhaps from Greek plagos side
'plagal' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
authentic - hypoaeolian mode - hypodorian mode - hypoionian mode - hypolydian mode - hypomixolydian mode - hypophrygian mode - plagal cadence

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