acoustic

Appearance

English[edit]Alternative forms[edit]acoustical, acoustick (obsolete)Pronunciation[edit]Etymology 1[edit]

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

Adjective[edit]

acoustic (not comparable)

Pertaining to the sense of hearing, the organs of hearing, or the science of sounds. Synonym: auditory(architecture, of building materials) Used for soundproofing or modifying sound.Of a device or system, using sound energy in its operation.(weaponry) Of an explosive mine or other weapon, able to be set off by sound waves.(music) Naturally producing or produced by an instrument without electrical amplification or the need thereof. acoustic guitar, acoustic pianoCoordinate term: unplugged(transferred sense, humorous or proscribed) Nonelectric; mechanical or otherwise basic. Synonym: analogacoustic bike2020 June 4, 14:45 from the start, in No More Jockeys[1], season 1, episode 7, spoken by Tim Key and Mark Watson:KEY: I’ve had a banana in banana cake.WATSON: But you haven’t had a sort of acoustic banana?2022 May 19, “How to Get Started Biking”, in Wired[2]: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?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[3], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 November 2025:E-bikes have now become so popular that old-fashioned, human-powered ones are tagged as “analog” or “acoustic” bikes.Derived terms[edit]acoustic admittanceacousticalacousticallyacoustic barrieracoustic bassacoustic bass guitaracoustic bassistacoustic ceilingacoustic coupleracoustic-electricacoustic emissionacoustic energyacoustic guitaracoustic guitaristacousticianacoustic impedanceacoustic interferometeracoustic jammingacoustickyacoustic meatusacoustic mirroracoustic modelacoustic nerveacousticnessacoustic neuromaacousticofacialacousticopalpebralacousticophobiaacoustic perfumeacoustic rockacousticsacoustic shadowacoustic shockacoustic traveltimeacousto-aeroacousticanacousticarchaeoacousticbaryon acoustic oscillationbioacousticcatacousticdiacousticechoacousticecoacousticelectroacousticgeoacoustichydroacousticmagnetoacousticmechanoacousticmicroacousticnonacousticoptoacousticotacousticotoacousticphotoacousticphysioacousticpolyacousticpsychoacousticsemiacousticsemi-acousticsubacousticsuperacousticthermoacousticunacousticvestibuloacousticvibracousticvibroacousticTranslations[edit]

pertaining to hearing or the science of sounds

producing or produced without electrical amplification

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Noun[edit]

acoustic (plural acoustics)

(usually in the plural) The properties or qualities of a room or building that determine how sound is transmitted in it.(medicine) A medicine or other agent to assist hearing.Clipping of acoustic guitar.Translations[edit]

quality of a space for doing music

Etymology 2[edit]

Due to the shared metrical structure of autistic and acoustic. Popularized on TikTok in late October 2023.[1]

Adjective[edit]

acoustic (comparative more acoustic, superlative most acoustic)

(social media, offensive) Euphemistic form of autistic. Synonym: artistic2014 November 22, u/Victorboris1, “anon is acoustic”, in Reddit[4], r/4chan, archived from the original on 5 December 2023:Implying mathematicians aren’t acoustic. I’m an engineer, and even mathematicians freak me out with their autism.2017 May 14, “Are ADHD spinners /ourtoy/ ?”, in Reddit[5], r/4chan, archived from the original on 5 December 2023:Spinners are for severely acoustic children[2023 July 7, “Anon is a little acoustic”, in Reddit[6], r/4chan, archived from the original on 5 December 2023:I explained I got a 3 day ban for calling someone acoustic because it’s bullying/harassment, hence the use of acoustic.]2023 December 2, @ScarletGodzilla, Twitter[7], archived from the original on 5 December 2023:cant stand self diagnosed acoustic people ☠️2023 December 4, @yeahabsolutelyy, Twitter[8], archived from the original on 5 December 2023:the whole “is he acoustic” tiktok comment shit is so fucking annoying and just ableist at this point and i’m so sick of itNotes[edit]Though often considered to be euphemistic, this term is widely regarded by autistic people and autistic advocates to be an ableist slur.[2][3] It is therefore proscribed in many conversational contexts.References[edit]Further reading[edit]“acoustic”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.“acoustic”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

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English 3-syllable wordsEnglish terms with IPA pronunciationEnglish terms with audio pronunciationRhymes:English/uːstɪkRhymes:English/uːstɪk/3 syllablesEnglish terms borrowed from Medieval LatinEnglish terms derived from Medieval LatinEnglish terms derived from Ancient GreekEnglish lemmasEnglish adjectivesEnglish uncomparable adjectivesen:Architectureen:Weaponsen:MusicEnglish terms with collocationsEnglish terms with transferred sensesEnglish humorous termsEnglish proscribed termsEnglish terms with quotationsEnglish nounsEnglish countable nounsen:MedicineEnglish clippingsen:Social mediaEnglish offensive termsEnglish euphemismsEnglish terms suffixed with -ic