🎵 Without perfect pitch 🔄 Not fixed

nonabsolute

7.9

Not having perfect pitch and needing a note to find other notes

adjective
/nɑnˈæb.sə.luːt/

Specialized

: no absoluto

Unlike her classmate with perfect pitch, she was nonabsolute and relied on a piano to start.

Examples

The music teacher explained that most people are nonabsolute and use relative pitch to identify notes.
Because he was nonabsolute, he needed a reference note before singing in tune.
Her singing style is quite nonabsolute.
The nonabsolute pitch of the instrument is noticeable.
The music teacher explained that most people are nonabsolute and use relative pitch to identify notes.
Because he was nonabsolute, he needed a reference note before singing in tune.
Unlike her classmate with perfect pitch, she was nonabsolute and relied on a piano to start.

Antonyms

absolute

204 3.9

Complete to show the highest degree

How Absolute

absolute pitch

Specialized

1 9.9

nonabsolute

Specialized

7.9

relative

428 3.7

tone-deaf

1 7.0

Surface Forms

nonabsolute positive

Morphology

nonabsolute = absolute (transparent) = non + absolute

The adjective is formed by straightforward negation: the productive English prefix 'non-' added to 'absolute' yields 'not absolute'.

Etymology

Nonabsolute is formed from non- meaning 'not' and absolute meaning 'complete' or 'fixed'. In music, a nonabsolute person does not have 'absolute' (perfect) pitch and so uses other notes as a reference to find the right pitch.