audio

1 of 3

adjective

au·​dio ˈȯ-dē-ˌō 

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

an audio signal

2

a

: of or relating to sound or its reproduction and especially high-fidelity reproduction

an audio system

audio files

a recording with good audio quality

an audio stream of the concert

the film's audio engineers

b

: relating to or used in the transmission or reception of sound

an audio receiver

compare video

c

: of, relating to, or utilizing recorded sound

an audio presentation

audio

2 of 3

noun

1

: an audio signal

wirelessly transmits audio

broadly : sound entry 1

The picture was clear but the audio was very poor.

2

: electronic equipment primarily designed to handle signals of an audible frequency

connects to the car's audio

3

: the transmission, reception, or reproduction of sound

The trial is not being streamed via audio or video.

—Jon Brodkin

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

The audio and visual series will be hosted by award-winning journalist Jemele Hill, who will amplify the journey of Black creatives and dive into why representation truly matters in boardrooms, on screens, and across digital spaces. —Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026

And later a valve on the Orion capsule malfunctioned as engineers also attempted to troubleshoot several dropouts of ground teams’ audio communications channels. —Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 3 Feb. 2026

Noun

Transcripts of the cockpit voice recorders and air traffic control audio released in the NTSB investigation docket revealed what was said inside the aircraft in the moments before the crash. —Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026

Large Dynamic Drivers Featuring 40mm dynamic drivers and customizable sound profiles, Tribit says the QuietPlus 81 headphones deliver rich audio with deep bass and clear highs. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026

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

Phrases Containing audio

• audio-animatronic
• audio-lingual

Rhymes for audio

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

audio

1 of 3 adjective

au·​dio ˈȯd-ē-ˌō 

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"