Definition
adjPertaining to the sense of hearing, the organs of hearing, or the science of sounds.
adjPertaining to the sense of hearing, the organs of hearing, or the science of sounds., Used for soundproofing or modifying sound.
Sentence Examples
If you've got time to play around on an acoustic guitar, practice your bass!
Sound absorbing material is called acoustic material.
An electric guitar doesn't sound the same as an acoustic one.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ-
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew-
Proto-Indo-European *-s
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ṓws
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ḱh₂owsyéti
Proto-Hellenic *akóuhō
Ancient Greek ἀκούω (akoúō)
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Ancient Greek -κός (-kós)
Ancient Greek -ῐκός (-ĭkós)
Ancient Greek ᾰ̓κουστῐκός (ăkoustĭkós)bor.
Medieval Latin acousticusbor.
English acoustic
Borrowed from Medieval Latin acousticus, acūsticus, from Ancient Greek ἀκουστῐκός (akoustĭkós, “of or for hearing”), from ἀκούω (akoúō, “to hear”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, adjectival suffix).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"KEY: I've had a banana in banana cake.
WATSON: But you haven't had a sort of acoustic banana?"
— 2020 June 4, 14:45 from the start, in No More Jockeys, season 1, episode 7, spoken by Tim Key and Mark Watson:
"For a lot of people, riding a bike through a crowded city—or even on suburban avenues—might feel daunting. Should you get an electric or acoustic bicycle?"
— 2022 May 19, “How to Get Started Biking”, in Wired:
"E-bikes have now become so popular that old-fashioned, human-powered ones are tagged as “analog” or “acoustic” bikes."
— 2025 November 30, David Darlington, “The Shocking Crash That Led Marin County to Reckon With the Dangers of E-Bikes”, in The New York Times Magazine, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 Nov 2025:
"Implying mathematicians aren't acoustic. I'm an engineer, and even mathematicians freak me out with their autism."
— 2014 November 22, u/Victorboris1, “anon is acoustic”, in Reddit, r/4chan, archived from the original on 05 Dec 2023:
"Spinners are for severely acoustic children"
— 2017 May 14, “Are ADHD spinners /ourtoy/ ?”, in Reddit, r/4chan, archived from the original on 05 Dec 2023: