audio

1 of 3

adjective

au·​dio ˈȯ-dē-ˌō 

1

: of or relating to acoustic, mechanical, or electrical frequencies corresponding to normally audible sound waves which are of frequencies approximately from 15 to 20,000 hertz

2

a

: of or relating to sound or its reproduction and especially high-fidelity reproduction

b

: relating to or used in the transmission or reception of sound compare video

c

: of, relating to, or utilizing recorded sound

audio

2 of 3

noun

1

: an audio signal

broadly : sound entry 1

2

: the section of television or motion-picture equipment that deals with sound

3

: the transmission, reception, or reproduction of sound

audio-

3 of 3

combining form

1

: hearing

audiometer

2

: sound

audiophile

3

: auditory and

audiovisual

Examples of audio in a Sentence

Adjective

The audio portion of the broadcast was fine but the picture was poor.

They listened to an audio recording of the speech.

Noun

The picture was clear but the audio was very poor.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Cowan also spoke with Travis, 64, and wife Mary for the piece that takes viewers behind-the-scenes for a look at how longtime producer Kyle Lehning pieced together the song with the singer’s blessing using old audio tracks of his voice as a launching pad. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 May 2024

The prosecution played an audio recording of a conversation between Michael Cohen and Donald Trump, which prosecutors likely want the jury to believe showed the pair discussing one of the hush money deals tied to Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election. —David Jackson, USA TODAY, 2 May 2024

His skills include multimedia and data reporting and video and audio editing. —Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2024

The former records whichever audio loops are playing to a master track, while the latter records actions such as button presses, knob turns, and loop activations to the track sequencer. —Pete Cottell, WIRED, 2 May 2024

Ultimate bumps the audio track count to 2,048, including up to 256 simultaneous record inputs. —PCMAG, 1 May 2024

In a collaboration with Apple Music, Swift sorted some of her existing songs into thematic playlists, along with audio messages from her. —Saba Hamedy, NBC News, 19 Apr. 2024

But because there is no television or audio recording allowed in the courtroom — New York has one of the most restrictive laws about that — all we are left with are these snippets relayed from those inside. —Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024

First came the original Ear 1, which stood out for its partly transparent design but suffered from bugs and inconsistent audio performance. —Chris Welch, The Verge, 18 Apr. 2024

Noun

But its most desirable feature is the optional 710-watt ELS Studio 3D audio system, tailor-made for the car by Grammy-winning producer Elliot Scheiner and packing 16 speakers to make this compact crossover feel like Carnegie Hall. —Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 3 May 2024

At one point, when speaking about moving to New York City just like her mother did, Seed edits audio of Turner asking questions and of herself answering them to imply a conversation between the two. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 3 May 2024

At one point, the jury asked to listen again to audio of the defendant’s phone calls from jail. —James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 May 2024

Jordan Bell is our executive producer, and Chris Bannon is global head of audio at Condé Nest. —Leah Feiger, WIRED, 2 May 2024

Elevate your outdoor audio experience with the JBL Xtreme 3 speaker, bolstered by its rugged, waterproof design at, wow, 52% off. —Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 1 May 2024

This can be adapted into conversational audio and dubbed to video personas, but that doesn’t change the underlying functionality. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 May 2024

Use Google Translate to play an audio of how these phrases are pronounced. —Karen I. Chen, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2022

Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. —Amir Mahmoud, arkansasonline.com, 22 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

independent use of audio- as adjective

Noun

derivative of audio entry 1, or by shortening of words formed with audio- (as audio-signal)

Combining form

Latin audīre "to hear" + -o- — more at audible entry 1

Note: Probably first in audiometer—see etymology note there.

First Known Use

Adjective

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing audio

• audio-animatronic
• audio-lingual

Kids Definition

audio

1 of 3 adjective

au·​dio ˈȯd-ē-ˌō 

1

: of or relating to electrical or other frequencies occurring in the range of sound waves that can be heard

2

a

: of or relating to sound or its reproduction and especially accurate reproduction

bought new audio equipment

b

: relating to or used in sending or receiving sound compare video entry 2 sense 1

audio

2 of 3 noun

1

: the sending, receiving, or reproducing of sound

2

: the part of television or motion-picture equipment that deals with sound

audio-

3 of 3 combining form

1

: hearing

audiometer

2

: sound

audiophile

3

: auditory and

audiovisual

Etymology

Combining form

derived from Latin audire "to hear"