acoustic

adjective

acous·tic | \ə-ˈküs-tik

variants: or acoustical \-ti-kəl

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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Synonyms & Antonyms for acoustic

Synonyms

audial, audile, auditory, aural, auricular

Antonyms

nonauditory

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

Bieber sat on the edge of the Queen Victoria Memorial, holding an acoustic guitar covered in doodles. — Vogue, "Justin Bieber Held an Impromptu Concert for Hailey Baldwin Outside Buckingham Palace," 19 Sep. 2018 The acoustic renditions are always fun because the fans join in, really providing the backbone to the song. — Rebecca Farley, refinery29.com, "Taylor Swift Swings Through Manchester For A Moving Reputation Concert," 11 June 2018 Jablonsky's score for Skyscraper features electric and acoustic guitars in addition to the orchestral instrumentation. — Byron Burton, The Hollywood Reporter, "Why 'Skyscraper' Composer Didn't Want a Marvel-Style Score," 12 July 2018 The setlist has been nearly identical for every show, with the only consistent change coming during a short acoustic set, which tends to trade out various deep album cuts. — Jeffrey Lee Puckett, The Courier-Journal, "Taylor Swift's 'Reputation' tour in Louisville promises to be epic," 26 June 2018 Actor-singer Jeff Daniels charmed with an acoustic set ahead of the Jacksons, while his son Ben Daniels earlier led a set of warm Americana-rock. — Brian Mccollum, Detroit Free Press, "Jacksons overcome technical woes to sparkle at Detroit Music Weekend," 17 June 2018 The desert oasis is home to the AVA Amphitheatre, which can host up to 2,000 people and scale up or down for intimate acoustic shows, pounding rock bands or hilarious comedy acts. — Brian Sodoma, azcentral, "Pamper, splash and play at these 4 Tucson luxury resorts," 31 May 2018 An opening event for the giant Santa Barbara property drew in the likes of Michael Keaton, Nicolette Sheridan, Jane Lynch, Bo Derek and John Corbett, who came out to dance, imbibe, and enjoy an hour-long acoustic set from John Mayer. — Ariston Anderson, The Hollywood Reporter, "John Mayer Performs Secret Set at Santa Barbara’s Hotel Californian Opening Bash," 27 Apr. 2018 Whether peddling the catchy dance funk that ignited his career, writing albums full of intimate acoustic ballads or delivering infectious pop music, the veteran musician remains a consistent force both on record and on stage. — Courtney Devores, charlotteobserver, "8 buzzworthy concerts coming to Charlotte in the next week | Charlotte Observer," 25 Apr. 2018

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.

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