acoustic

1 of 2

adjective

acous·​tic ə-ˈkü-stik 

variants or acoustical

ə-ˈkü-sti-kəl 

1

: of or relating to the sense or organs of hearing, to sound, or to the science of sounds

acoustic apparatus of the ear

acoustic energy

: such as

a

: deadening or absorbing sound

acoustic tile

b

: operated by or utilizing sound waves

2

: of, relating to, or being a musical instrument whose sound is not electronically modified

acoustically

ə-ˈkü-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

acoustic

2 of 2

variant of acoustics

Synonyms of acoustic

Adjective

• auditory

Examples of acoustic in a Sentence

Adjective

the acoustic properties of a room

She loves listening to acoustic folk music.

an acoustic performance of a rock-and-roll song

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Unlike conventional sonar approaches that rely on lower-resolution acoustic images, synthetic aperture sonar combines multiple acoustic measurements collected as the sensor moves through the water. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026

For him, cutting an acoustic album with nothing more than his voice and a guitar was a self-assessment. — Dan Hyman, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026

There is almost as much acoustic music on the album as there is electronic. — Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 31 Oct. 2026

That said, the acoustic guitar was nice and crisp, offering a good sense of rhythm throughout the track, while the cymbals and other percussion had good sizzle. — Christian De Looper, PC Magazine, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

acoustic borrowed from Medieval Latin acousticus, acūsticus, borrowed from Greek akoustikós, from akoustós "heard, audible" (verbal adjective of akoúein "to hear," going back to Indo-European *h₂kou̯s-) + -ikos -ic entry 1; acoustical from acoustic + -al entry 1 — more at hear

First Known Use

Adjective

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing acoustic

• acoustic emission

Rhymes for acoustic

• electroacoustic

Kids Definition

acoustic

adjective

acous·​tic ə-ˈkü-stik 

variants or acoustical

-sti-kəl 

1

: of or relating to the sense or organs of hearing, to sound, or to the science of sounds: as

a

: deadening or absorbing sound

b

: operated by or using sound waves

2

: of, relating to, or being a musical instrument whose sound is not electronically modified

acoustic guitar

acoustically

-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

acoustic

adjective

acous·​tic ə-ˈkü-stik 

variants or acoustical

-sti-kəl 

: of or relating to the sense or organs of hearing, to sound, or to the science of sounds

acoustic apparatus of the ear

acoustic energy

: as

a

: deadening or absorbing sound

acoustic tile

b

: operated by or utilizing sound waves

acoustically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb