acoustic

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

Synonyms

• audial
• audile
• auditory
• aural
• auricular

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

The performance began with just Yearwood and Brooks together, the former singing lead, and the latter plucking an acoustic guitar and providing a bit of backing vocals. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 28 Nov. 2023

With harmonies and an acoustic guitar, his rendition is gentle, but exudes just as much emotion. —Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023

Luckily for them, an acoustic guitar virtuoso and college dropout named William Ackerman had just founded Windham Hill Records in Stanford, Ca., and by 1981, the label had single-handedly (and quite unintentionally) launched the new age music movement. —Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 22 Nov. 2023

The simple acoustic guitar arrangement and his clear voice was genius! —George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Nov. 2023

Singing with such pathos, Cornejo tugs at your heartstrings with nostalgic and melancholic songs about love and loss, powered by prickly acoustic and electronic guitars. —Griselda Flores, Billboard, 18 Nov. 2023

In contrast, the acoustic exciton-polarons in Re6Se8Cl2 successfully crossed several micrometers (about 3 orders of magnitude farther) over the course of a nanosecond (about 6 orders of magnitude longer). —IEEE Spectrum, 6 Nov. 2023

There, a red-headed and red-bearded guy of six feet six, in a T-shirt and baggy pants, cradled a Gretsch acoustic guitar. —David Browne, Rolling Stone, 17 Nov. 2023

Every human body is host to a wide array of acoustic and tonal signatures. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing acoustic

• acoustic emission

• acoustic emission

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