audio
1 Americanadjective
-
Electronics. designating an electronic apparatus using audio frequencies.
audio amplifier.
-
of, relating to, or employed in the transmission, reception, or reproduction of sound.
-
of or relating to frequencies or signals in the audible range.
noun
-
audios
plural
-
Television.
-
the audio elements of television (distinguished from video).
-
the circuits in a receiver for reproducing sound.
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the audio part of a television broadcast.
-
-
the field of sound recording, transmission, reception, and reproduction.
noun
-
of or relating to sound or hearing
audio frequency
-
relating to or employed in the transmission, reception, or reproduction of sound
-
of, concerned with, or operating at audio frequencies
combining form
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of audio1
First recorded in 1920–25; independent use of audio-
Origin of audio-2
< Latin audī- (stem of audīre to hear) + -o-
Explanation
Audio means sound. If you turn up the volume and turn down the bass on your TV, you adjust the audio. The noun audio always refers to what you can hear, although there are several different ways to use it. If you covet expensive speakers for your stereo, you wish for new audio equipment, and when someone complains about the sound at a movie theater he might say, "The audio is way too loud." Audio was first used as a prefix, in words like audio-frequency, and came to mean "recorded sound" in the 1930s.
Vocabulary lists containing audio
Common Senses: Aud ("Hear")
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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.
See Examples For:
The project also includes the restoration of the theater’s historic Art Deco features and auditorium ceiling mural, along with upgraded audio, visual and lighting systems as well as a broadcast room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Thus, he enjoyed great success with films like 1934’s “Modern Times,” which softly transitioned into the new era by preserving much of silent filmmaking’s expressiveness while incorporating synchronized audio.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
Judge Choudhury said her decision was influenced by audio recordings of phone calls and expert testimony showing Jeffries possesses sufficient cognitive function to participate in his defense.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Prized vinyl records and vintage audio equipment are nothing more than a blank mush, speckled with ashes and broken pieces.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
“Earthling, is your audio intake system damaged? Can you hear me, Earthling?”
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
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Along the way, the camera-equipped, audio- and video-recording devices have become a privacy lightning rod.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
The lawyers propose that the evaluations be audio- and video-recorded and last eight hours for adults and four to six hours for children.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 18, 2021
The meeting was audio- and video-recorded by Nike’s lawyers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2019
At Bridgewater, most meetings and many common areas are audio- or video-recorded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 16, 2016
Americans this year will spend some $35 billion on records, audio- and videotapes and CDs, almost as much as they will spend on Japanese hardware manufactured to play them.
From Time Magazine Archive
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The law's critics argued it unjustly targeted journalists, who often source stories based on images showing graphic violence, including messages left by alleged gang members, or even interviews, graffiti and audios shared on social media.
From Reuters ● Nov. 2, 2023
The release of the audios came a few days after the federation said it was targeted by hackers who also stole emails, text messages and documents involving its top officials.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 18, 2022
Recent terrific audios of new novels include “The Lincoln Highway” and “Cloud Cuckoo Land.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 24, 2022
Mental health experts today have access to thousands of videos, audios, tweets, interviews and speeches of the president and innumerable other public figures and politicians.
From Salon ● Jan. 5, 2022
Sabo eased himself from the seat, tuning up his audios to their highest sensitivity, moving over to Brownie.
From Derelict by Alan Edward Nourse
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.