plural altos
1
a
b
2
: the second highest voice part in a 4-part chorus
3
: a member of a family of instruments having a range lower than that of the treble or soprano
especially
: an alto saxophone
: relating to or having the range or part of an alto
Examples of alto in a Sentence
Noun
She sang in her school choir as an alto.
Adjective
He plays the alto sax.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 21 June 2024
Trending on Billboard Born James Alan Siegfried in Milwaukee, Chance began playing piano while attending a Catholic elementary school and later took up the alto saxophone in his late teenage years.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 19 June 2024
Washington Post, 24 Apr. 2020
Kristen Dubenion-Smith possesses a lyric-mezzo of uncommon beauty, her flickering vibrato and the amber cast of her tone making something special out of the alto arias.
—Joe Banno, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2019
See all Example Sentences for alto 
Noun
James joined local band Death, adding free-ranging alto sax solos to its doomy sound derived from the Stooges and the Velvet Underground.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 21 June 2024
Trending on Billboard Born James Alan Siegfried in Milwaukee, Chance began playing piano while attending a Catholic elementary school and later took up the alto saxophone in his late teenage years.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 19 June 2024
Adjective
Lee Konitz, 92, was an alto saxophonist who was an innovative figure in jazz for more than 70 years.
—Washington Post, 24 Apr. 2020
Kristen Dubenion-Smith possesses a lyric-mezzo of uncommon beauty, her flickering vibrato and the amber cast of her tone making something special out of the alto arias.
—Joe Banno, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2019
See all Example Sentences for alto
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alto.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Alto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alto. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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