ENGLISH
REFERENCE

acoustic

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //əˈkustɪk// UK //ɐkˈuːstɪk// acous·tic Humorous Vulgar

adj. relating to sound or the sense of hearing. You use this to describe instruments that do not use electricity to make their sound louder.

adj. relating to sound, the sense of hearing, or the science of acoustics. Often used to distinguish non-electric musical instruments from their electronic counterparts.


SIMPLE

He plays an acoustic guitar in the park.

CONTEXTUAL

The architect designed the concert hall with specific materials to improve the acoustic quality of the space.

COMPLEX

While digital synthesizers offer endless variety, many purists prefer the warm, organic resonance of an acoustic piano because of the physical interaction between the hammers and strings.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

Borrowed from Medieval Latin acousticus, acūsticus, from Ancient Greek ἀκουστῐκός (akoustĭkós, “of or for hearing”), from ἀκούω (akoúō, “to hear”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, adjectival suffix).

Etymology 2

Due to the shared metrical structure of autistic and acoustic. Popularized on TikTok in late October 2023.

Usage

Typically placed before the noun it modifies. When used as a noun, it is usually plural ('acoustics') to describe the sound properties of a room.

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