attune

Attune is a verb meaning to bring into harmony or accord, or to adjust to a desired pitch or key. The term derives from the word tune, with a prefix implying toward or into alignment, and is closely tied to the idea of making elements fit together smoothly. The related noun attunement denotes the state or process of becoming attuned, and the adjective attuned describes something that has been brought into harmony.

In music, to attune an instrument is to adjust its pitch or the relationships between pitches so they align with a reference standard, such as concert pitch, or with other instruments in an ensemble. Attuning can also refer to adjusting tone or timbre to achieve a desired sound or blend.

Beyond music, attune is used in psychological and interpersonal contexts to describe being sensitive and responsive to another’s emotional state or needs. Emotional attunement is a key concept in caregiver–child interactions, psychotherapy, and various relationship dynamics, where mutual responsiveness supports communication, trust, and bonding.

More broadly, attune can describe aligning actions, systems, or products to the context, needs, or values of people or situations—such as making policies, services, or designs more responsive to users or audiences. The phrase attune to is common, as in attuning oneself to another’s perspective or to situational demands.

See also: attunement, harmony, alignment, synchronization, resonance.