acoustic

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

Synonyms

• auditory

Examples of acoustic in a Sentence

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

Nearby is a Harptone 12-string Jumbo acoustic guitar, which has scratches on it and a broken string, and which was used in one of Bowie's videos for his hit Space Oddity. —Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 13 Sep. 2025

Fiddle, steel guitar, piano, and acoustic guitars flow throughout the album. —Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025

Whistling Pie is a homemade album of acoustic ballads, inspired by his hero, the late British folk guitarist Bert Jansch. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2025

Apple hasn't confirmed whether the AirPods Pro 3 have new drivers, though the company claims its new multiport acoustic design improves sound quality. —PC Magazine, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

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