ultrasonic

adjective

ul·​tra·​son·​ic ˌəl-trə-ˈsä-nik 

1

: having a frequency above the human ear's audibility limit of about 20,000 hertz

—used of waves and vibrations

2

: utilizing, produced by, or relating to ultrasonic waves or vibrations

ultrasonically

ˌəl-trə-ˈsä-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Did you know?

Ultrasound, or ultrasonography, works on the principle that sound is reflected at different speeds by tissues or substances of different densities. Ultrasound technology has been used medically since the 1940s. Sonograms, the pictures produced by ultrasound, can reveal heart defects, tumors, and gallstones; since low-power ultrasonic waves don't present any risks to a body, they're most often used to display fetuses during pregnancy in order to make sure they're healthy. Ultrasonics has many other uses, including underwater sonar sensing. High-power ultrasonics are so intense that they're actually used for drilling and welding.

Examples of ultrasonic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Accelerometers pick up bearing wear, infrared cameras flag overheated motors, ultrasonic microphones catch leaks, and oil sensors detect contamination. —Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2025

The front glass hides an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor on the screen. —Iyaz Akhtar, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025

Sensor fusion is the process of combining data from multiple sensors—like cameras, radar, lidar, and ultrasonic detectors. —John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

These include the following: Small ultrasonic electronic devices: Meant to be carried on the body, these devices are advertised to emit sounds that supposedly repel mosquitoes. —John Tufts, IndyStar, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ultrasonic

• anharmonic
• anionic
• avionic
• catatonic
• cationic
• chorionic
• cosmogonic
• diachronic
• diatonic
• electronic
• embryonic
• excitonic

Kids Definition

ultrasonic

adjective

ul·​tra·​son·​ic ˌəl-trə-ˈsän-ik 

: relating to or being vibrations that are of the same kind as sound waves but have too high a frequency to be heard by the human ear

ultrasonically

-ˈsän-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

ultrasonic

adjective

ul·​tra·​son·​ic -ˈsän-ik 

1

a

: having a frequency above the human ear's audibility limit of about 20,000 hertz

—used of waves and vibrations

b

: utilizing, produced by, or relating to ultrasonic waves or vibrations

removal of tartar with an ultrasonic scaler

2

: ultrasound

ultrasonically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb