acoustic

1 of 2

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

acoustic

2 of 2

variant of acoustics

Synonyms of acoustic

Adjective

• auditory

Examples of acoustic in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

In an April 30 lawsuit, the residents alleged their homes had sustained unspecified damages from the acoustic vibrations associated with Starship launches. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026

Slicing $50 off knocks JBL’s latest battery-toting heavy hitter into sweet-spot pricing and gives you serious acoustic punch and endless endurance. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026

Brotherton added depth to Keen’s live show, which had previously been a four-piece, with Keen playing acoustic guitar along with a fiddle, bassist, and drummer. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026

Technology can mitigate noise by using acoustic baffling, bigger fans and applying variable frequency drives. — Kevin Brown, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

Adjective

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