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acoustic

adjective
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acous·​tic | \ ə-ˈkü-stik How to pronounce acoustic (audio) \
variants: or acoustical \ ə-​ˈkü-​sti-​kəl How to pronounce acoustical (audio) \

Definition of acoustic

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
Other Words from acoustic Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about acoustic

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Other Words from acoustic

acoustically \ ə-​ˈkü-​sti-​k(ə-​)lē How to pronounce acoustically (audio) \ adverb

Synonyms & Antonyms for acoustic

Synonyms

Antonyms

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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
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Recent Examples on the Web For an episode of his The Yungblud Show, the star put together his own harmonies for the 1971 hit before adding acoustic guitar and delivering the melody, amplified by the acoustics in his bathroom. — Rania Aniftos, Billboard, "From Taylor Swift to Drake, Here Are Yungblud's Best Covers & Mashups," 30 Sep. 2020 Multiple voices can even be combined, such as an acoustic guitar and a slow string section. — Michael Pollick, chicagotribune.com, "The best digital keyboard of 2020," 26 Sep. 2020 One person even reached out to Danforth and offered to donate an acoustic guitar to Sigalove. — oregonlive, "Oregon wildfires: For Phoenix family that loses home and food truck, there’s hope amid a ‘field of devastation’," 22 Sep. 2020 The car is utterly silent, thanks to 220 pounds of acoustic damping, plus double glazing and felt insulation within a twin-section of floor and bulkhead. — Hannah Elliott, Bloomberg.com, "Rolls-Royce Tones Down $332,500 Ghost in Latest Bid for Relevance," 30 Sep. 2020 An acoustic receiver attached to a single buoy moored in the Santa Barbara Channel constantly listens for whale vocalizations. — Popular Science, "Whale ‘roadkill’ is on the rise off California. A new detection system could help.," 29 Sep. 2020 That may require the advice of an acoustic expert to specify an installation providing a reasonable amount of buffering. — Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, "HOA Homefront – Fair Housing violations? Restrictions on hard floors and outside play," 26 Sep. 2020 While the couple has made several versions, including an acoustic and live performance music video, the nomination appears to be for the original from January of this year, which has amassed more than 45 million views on YouTube so far. — Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, "Gwen Stefani's Fans Are Beyond Thrilled After Hearing Her Major Career News," 24 Sep. 2020 Vos and his bandmates, Alex Stiff and Marc Cazorla, are planning an acoustic set. — Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The Record Company's Chris Vos grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm. Playing Farm Aid is 'one of the highest honors of my life.'," 23 Sep. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acoustic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of acoustic

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for acoustic

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 h2kous-) + -ikos -ic entry 1; acoustical from acoustic + -al entry 1 — more at hear

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Time Traveler for acoustic

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The first known use of acoustic was in 1635

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Statistics for acoustic

Last Updated

15 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Acoustic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acoustic. Accessed 21 Oct. 2020.

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More Definitions for acoustic

acoustic

adjective
How to pronounce acoustic (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of acoustic

: of or relating to sound or to the sense of hearing
of a musical instrument : not having its sound changed by electrical devices
: made with or using acoustic instruments

See the full definition for acoustic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

acoustic

adjective
acous·​tic | \ ə-ˈkü-stik How to pronounce acoustic (audio) \
variants: or acoustical \ -​sti-​kəl \

Kids Definition of acoustic

1 : of or relating to hearing or sound
2 : not having the sound changed by electrical devices an acoustic guitar

acoustic

adjective
acous·​tic | \ ə-ˈkü-stik How to pronounce acoustic (audio) \
variants: or acoustical \ -​sti-​kəl How to pronounce acoustical (audio) \

Medical Definition of acoustic

: 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

Other Words from acoustic

acoustically \ -​k(ə-​)lē How to pronounce acoustically (audio) \ adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on acoustic

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for acoustic

Nglish: Translation of acoustic for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of acoustic for Arabic Speakers

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