What does antiphonal mean?
Antiphonal describes performance in which two groups alternate, one answering the other — most famously two choirs singing across a cathedral, but also applied to responsive reading, poetry, and even spoken dialogue. The term derives from antiphony, a practice inherited from ancient Hebrew psalmody and formalized in early Christian worship, where it became central to Gregorian chant and remains a living tradition in monasteries and cathedrals today. Beyond its musical sense, antiphonal also serves as a noun naming the liturgical book that collects the short chants known as antiphons for use in the divine office. The word carries connotations of grandeur, ritual, and structured dialogue between voices, making it valuable not only in sacred-music scholarship but also as an evocative metaphor for any exchange in which parties respond to one another in turn.
Performed or recited in alternation by two groups, each responding to the other.
"The composer set the psalm antiphonally, dividing the choir into two halves that echoed one another."
Most often applied to choral music, plainsong, and responsive liturgical reading.
A book containing the antiphons sung or recited during the liturgy, particularly in the Roman Catholic and Anglican rites.
"The library acquired a fifteenth-century antiphonal illuminated with gold leaf."
In this sense the word is sometimes written 'antiphonal' or 'antiphonary'; it is primarily of interest to scholars of medieval manuscripts and church music.
Used only for the noun sense referring to liturgical books.
"Several medieval antiphonals survive in European monastic libraries."
When one choir sings and another answers back, that call-and-response is antiphony — a technique so old it shaped Western church music from Hebrew psalmody through Gregorian chant.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of antiphonal
Antiphonal comes from the Greek 'antiphōnos' ('sounding in answer'), formed from 'anti-' ('against, in return') and 'phōnē' ('voice, sound'). The term passed into Latin Christian usage as 'antiphona' and entered English in the late medieval period alongside the practice of alternating chant. It shares its Greek roots with words built on 'phōnē', such as symphony, telephone, and phonetics.
Related word forms
How antiphonal is actually used
Antiphonal is chiefly encountered in musical, liturgical, and academic contexts, giving it a formal register. The noun sense is largely confined to discussions of church music and medieval manuscripts.
Easily confused with antiphonal
An antiphon is the short liturgical verse or chant itself, while antiphonal describes the alternating style of performance or names the book collecting such chants.