audio

1 of 3

adjective

au·​dio ˈȯ-dē-ˌō How to pronounce audio (audio)
1
: of or relating to acoustic, mechanical, or electrical frequencies corresponding to normally audible sound waves which are of frequencies approximately from 15 to 20,000 hertz
2
a
: of or relating to sound or its reproduction and especially high-fidelity reproduction
b
: relating to or used in the transmission or reception of sound compare video
c
: of, relating to, or utilizing recorded sound

audio

2 of 3

noun

1
: an audio signal
broadly : sound entry 1
2
: the section of television or motion-picture equipment that deals with sound
3
: the transmission, reception, or reproduction of sound

audio-

3 of 3

combining form

1
: hearing
audiometer
2
: sound
audiophile
3
: auditory and
audiovisual

Examples of audio in a Sentence

Adjective The audio portion of the broadcast was fine but the picture was poor. They listened to an audio recording of the speech. Noun The picture was clear but the audio was very poor.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Photograph: Bose Bose, the American audio device daddy, has refreshed its headphone lineup. WIRED, 16 Sep. 2023 The city’s most recent redistricting efforts came under national scrutiny in the wake of the city’s audio leak scandal last year. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2023 The company claims the iPhone 15 Pro Max has up to 29 hours of video playback and up to 95 hours of audio playback, and the 15 Pro has 23 hours of video and 75 hours of audio. Umar Shakir, The Verge, 15 Sep. 2023 Gallucci, 48, is a former guitarist for the band Modest Mouse who had since transitioned into audio production. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023 Read full article Welcome to the Wali Holly show, an audio experience the Green Line operator creates a couple times each day in hopes of breaking up the rush hour slog. Daniel Kool, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2023 The first two models are its new flagship offerings and support its immersive audio feature that aims to add a spatial characteristic to your audio. Tim Gideon, PCMAG, 14 Sep. 2023 One wedding chapel lost electricity, and McArthur had to officiate a ceremony with a portable audio system and a set of candles. Meg Bernhard, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2023 That's a key reason why a number of brands are outsourcing this task to audio professionals. Marcos Chin, Car and Driver, 5 Sep. 2023
Noun
The unit itself is crafted of particleboard and MDF, and the three bottom compartments offer ample storage for audio and video equipment. Rena Behar, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Sep. 2023 Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Paige Eichkorn, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2023 Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 17 Sep. 2023 Watch/Listen: No audio or video, generally, for preseason games. Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 16 Sep. 2023 California Inside the room: The entire L.A. City Council racist audio leak, annotated by our experts Nov. 21, 2022 For a majority of the council’s current members, such a process would be unpredictable. David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023 But perhaps more interesting is that these USB-C AirPods Pro will support lossless audio when used with Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset. Emma Roth, The Verge, 13 Sep. 2023 There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023 Cadillac has partnered with Grammy-award-winning audio and acoustics company AKG to develop the Escalade's standard and optional sound systems. Joe Lorio, Car and Driver, 5 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'audio.' 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

Adjective

independent use of audio- as adjective

Noun

derivative of audio entry 1, or by shortening of words formed with audio- (as audio-signal)

Combining form

Latin audīre "to hear" + -o- — more at audible entry 1

Note: Probably first in audiometer—see etymology note there.

First Known Use

Adjective

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of audio was in 1907

Dictionary Entries Near audio

Cite this Entry

“Audio.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/audio. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

audio

1 of 3 adjective
au·​dio ˈȯd-ē-ˌō How to pronounce audio (audio)
1
: of or relating to electrical or other frequencies occurring in the range of sound waves that can be heard
2
a
: of or relating to sound or its reproduction and especially accurate reproduction
bought new audio equipment
b
: relating to or used in sending or receiving sound compare video entry 2 sense 1

audio

2 of 3 noun
1
: the sending, receiving, or reproducing of sound
2
: the part of television or motion-picture equipment that deals with sound

audio-

3 of 3 combining form
1
: hearing
audiometer
2
: sound
audiophile
3
: auditory and
audiovisual
Etymology

Combining form

derived from Latin audire "to hear"

More from Merriam-Webster on audio

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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