1
: utilizing, produced by, or relating to sound waves
sonic altimeter
broadly
: of or involving sound
sonic pollution
2
: having a frequency within the audibility range of the human ear
—used of waves and vibrations
3
: of, relating to, or being the speed of sound in air or about 761 miles per hour (1224 kilometers per hour) at sea level at 59°F (15°C)
Did you know?
A sonic boom is an explosive sound created by a shock wave formed at the nose of an aircraft. In 1947 a plane piloted by Chuck Yeager burst the "sound barrier" and created the first sonic boom. In the decades afterward sonic booms became a familiar sound to Americans. (Because of steps that were eventually taken, sonic booms are rarely heard anymore.) Today sonic is often used by ambitious rock musicians to describe their experimental sounds.
Examples of sonic in a Sentence
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There are sonic through lines between Chernobyl and her scores for Todd Field’s Tár or Sarah Polley’s Women Talking, and with Gudnadóttir’s original compositions.
—
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2025
The understanding of this sonic landscape soon began to be embodied knowledge across the society once the war started, sinking into inhabitants’ psychic lives.
—Joanna Warsza, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
More multicasts of our sonic uprisings to compete with America's myopic narrowcasting.
—Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Afrobeats superproducers Sarz and Spinall curate expansive sonic worlds that remain rooted in their native continent on the Protect Sarz At All Costs and ÈKÓ GROOVE albums, respectively, while calling on an all-star cast of collaborators like Wizkid, Victony, Teni and many more.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2025
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Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2025
The understanding of this sonic landscape soon began to be embodied knowledge across the society once the war started, sinking into inhabitants’ psychic lives.
—Joanna Warsza, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
More multicasts of our sonic uprisings to compete with America's myopic narrowcasting.
—Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Afrobeats superproducers Sarz and Spinall curate expansive sonic worlds that remain rooted in their native continent on the Protect Sarz At All Costs and ÈKÓ GROOVE albums, respectively, while calling on an all-star cast of collaborators like Wizkid, Victony, Teni and many more.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sonic
Cite this Entry
“Sonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonic. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sonic
adjective
son·ic
ˈsän-ik 
: using, produced by, or relating to sound waves
Medical Definition
sonic
adjective
son·ic
ˈsän-ik
1
: having a frequency within the audibility range of the human ear
—used of waves and vibrations
2
: utilizing, produced by, or relating to sound waves
a sonic device used to rupture cell walls
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