subsonic
Americanadjective
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noting or pertaining to a speed less than that of sound in air at the same height above sea level.
adjective
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Having a speed less than that of sound in a designated medium, usually air; having a velocity less than Mach 1.
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Compare hypersonic supersonic transonic
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of subsonic
1940–45; sub- + sonic ( def. )
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How does subsonic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After reentering the atmosphere, it would glide on wings before being captured in mid air by a large subsonic aircraft.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
Even then Tomahawks, which fly at subsonic speeds at a low altitude, could be vulnerable to Russian air defenses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025
In terms of purely destructive power, however, hypersonic missiles are not hugely different from supersonic or subsonic cruise missiles, according to Mr Freer.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2025
The house was littered with casings from subsonic ammunition of the same brand recovered from the motel room, Avila said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2023
Modeling flight at transonic speeds was a particularly knotty problem, because of the subsonic and supersonic winds that passed over the plane or model simultaneously.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
