acoustic

adjective

acous·​tic ə-ˈkü-stik How to pronounce acoustic (audio)
variants or acoustical
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 adverb

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 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acoustic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of acoustic was in 1635

Dictionary Entries Near acoustic

Cite this Entry

“Acoustic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acoustic. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

acoustic

adjective
acous·​tic ə-ˈkü-stik How to pronounce acoustic (audio)
variants or acoustical
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 adverb

Medical Definition

acoustic

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

More from Merriam-Webster on acoustic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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