sonar

American  

[soh-nahr] / ˈsoʊ nɑr /

noun

1. a method for detecting and locating objects submerged in water by echolocation.

2. the apparatus used in sonar.

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sonar British  

/ ˈsəʊnɑː /

noun

1. a communication and position-finding device used in underwater navigation and target detection using echolocation

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sonar Scientific  

/ sō′när′ /

1. Short for sound navigation and ranging. A method of detecting, locating, and determining the speed of objects through the use of reflected sound waves. A sound signal is produced, and the time it takes for the signal to reach an object and for its echo to return is used to calculate the object's distance. The Doppler effect can also be used to determine the object's relative velocity. Electronic sonar systems are used for submarine navigation and for detecting schools of fish. Some mammals, especially bats, use biological sonar to navigate and detect prey in dark conditions, commonly called echolocation.

2. The equipment or physiology used in doing this.

3. See also Doppler effect lidar radar

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Etymology

Origin of sonar

1940–45; so(und) na(vigation) r(anging)

Compare meaning

How does sonar compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sonar vs. radar

Explanation

Sonar is a method of finding objects under water using sound waves. If the Titanic had been able to use sonar, it never would have hit that iceberg. There are two kinds of sonar: active sonar, which sends sounds out and listens for their echoes, and passive sonar, which records existing sounds. Both allow boat and submarine pilots, explorers, the military, and scientists to determine how far away underwater objects are and approximately how large they are. Leonardo da Vinci gets the credit for inventing sonar when he inserted a tube in the water and listened for the sound of distant ships in 1490.

Example Sentences

Tariq Shaukat, CEO of code-verification company Sonar, said he’s doubtful AI is replacing most of the people losing jobs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Divers with Sunshine State Sonar found the vehicle last Saturday while searching in a small retention pond at the Disney World exit on Interstate 4 in Kissimmee.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 3, 2024

Sonar pulses, usually used to detect submarines, can have deleterious effects on divers’ hearing and internal organs, depending on intensity and frequency.

From Washington Times • Nov. 19, 2023

It is already on contract to build the ultra-powerful Sonar 2076 system for the Dreadnought class which now means it will be providing the boat's "eyes and ears" behind the platform's operational capability.

From BBC • Jul. 13, 2023

It was given to drink jardar magn svalkaldr s�r and Sonar dreyri.

From Teutonic Mythology, Vol. 1 of 3 Gods and Goddesses of the Northland by Ph.D.