medieval music is characterized by tonality.

Medieval music is generally not characterized by tonality in the way we understand it in the context of later Western music. Instead, medieval music is more accurately characterized by modality.

Tonality, which refers to the organization of music around a central pitch (the "tonic") and the series of chords (harmony) based on the major and minor scales that became prominent in the Baroque period (around 1600-1750), was not developed until after the medieval era. Medieval music, which spans approximately from the 5th to the early 15th century, relied on a system of modes, which were scales with different patterns of whole and half steps than the major and minor scales.

One of the key differences between tonality and modality is that modal music doesn't have the same tendency to resolve to a tonic note in a dominant-tonic relationship. Instead, modal music often revolves around a finalis, which acts as the final or main note of the mode, but without the functional harmony that characterizes tonal music.

In summary, while it's a common misconception, medieval music is not characterized by the tonality that defines later Western art music but by modality and a variety of other musical practices unique to the era.