acoustic
acoustic Lexical Profile
acoustic Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Producing or featuring natural sound without electrical amplification or electronic modification (used of musical instruments or performances).
"She prefers playing an acoustic guitar around the campfire rather than carrying an amplifier."
Relating to sound, the sense of hearing, or the physical science of sound waves.
"The concert hall was designed with special panels to improve its acoustic properties."
Designed to absorb, deaden, or control sound reflections in a building or room.
"The recording studio installed thick acoustic tiles on the ceiling to block outside street noise."
• noun
The properties or qualities of a room, hall, or building that determine how well sound is transmitted or heard within it (usually used in the plural, 'acoustics').
"The cathedral has a remarkable acoustic that makes choral music resonate beautifully."
A musical instrument, especially a guitar, whose sound is produced naturally by the vibration of strings and a hollow body rather than through electronic amplification.
"He left his electric guitar in the case and picked up his six-string acoustic for the ballad."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Acoustic' and 'acoustical' both mean relating to sound, but 'acoustic' is standard when referring to musical instruments ('acoustic guitar') or natural physical properties ('acoustic waves'), whereas 'acoustical' is often preferred for engineered systems or professional fields ('acoustical engineering').
• Rhymes for acoustic
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century via French acoustique from Ancient Greek akoustikos ('of or for hearing'), derived from the verb akouein ('to hear').