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 asa : deadening or absorbing sound acoustic tileb : operated by or utilizing sound waves
2 : of, relating to, or being a musical instrument whose sound is not electronically modified
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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
Recent Examples of acoustic from the Web
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The encounter was documented in May, during a two-week scientific voyage to study the whales using acoustic equipment that records the animals’ echo-location clicks.
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Gone were the ecstatic acoustic guitars and the sense of revelation embedded in the original song.
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Simple acoustic features of the short speech samples—including slower talking speed and longer pauses than healthy controls—pinpointed the symptomatic participants with 70 percent accuracy.
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Waters' six-piece band includes a second bassist, both for accompaniment, and for when the bass-playing frontman plays acoustic guitar or sings without an instrument.
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Lanier played a variety of strange-looking, ancient Asian acoustic instruments, as Lennon nursed the techno grooves with a contemporary, desk-sized Roland MC-505 GrooveBox.
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.
Origin and Etymology of acoustic
Greek akoustikos of hearing, from akouein to hear — more at hear
First Known Use: 1635
Other Physics Terms
ACOUSTIC Defined for English Language Learners
acoustic
playDefinition of acoustic for English Language Learners
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: of or relating to sound or to the sense of hearing
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of a musical instrument : not having its sound changed by electrical devices
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: made with or using acoustic instruments
ACOUSTIC Defined for Kids
acoustic
playacoustical
\-sti-kəl\Definition of acoustic for Students
1 : of or relating to hearing or sound
2 : not having the sound changed by electrical devices an acoustic guitar
Medical Dictionary
acoustic
playMedical 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: asa: deadening or absorbing sound acoustic tileb: operated by or utilizing sound waves
Learn More about acoustic
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for acoustic Spanish Central: Translation of acoustic Nglish: Translation of acoustic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of acoustic for Arabic speakers
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