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

Testing sensors on canisters During the INL demonstration, researchers installed optical fibers outside a mock nuclear fuel canister and tested several arrangements to measure acoustic vibrations. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026

The band continued off and on over the following years, with Sara Surkamp joining on acoustic guitar and vocals in 2006. — Jem Aswad, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings reinterpret the enduring rock band through acoustic folk. — Rudi Greenberg, Washington Post, 15 Oct. 2026

This track has a lot of richness in the high end, with poignant hi-hat hits, rimshots, and some sweet brilliance on top of the acoustic rhythm guitar, fiddle, and electric guitar, all of which go by the wayside. — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 15 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