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• audio
  audio

  adjective

  designating an electronic apparatus using audio frequencies.
• audio-
  audio-

  a combining form used in the formation of compound words, with the meanings: “sound within the range of human hearing” (audiometer ); “hearing” (audiology ); “sound reproduction” (audiophile ).

audio

¹ American  

[aw-dee-oh] / ˈɔ diˌoʊ /

adjective

1. Electronics. designating an electronic apparatus using audio frequencies.

   audio amplifier.

2. of, relating to, or employed in the transmission, reception, or reproduction of sound.

3. of or relating to frequencies or signals in the audible range.

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noun

1. Television.

   1. the audio elements of television (distinguished from video).

   2. the circuits in a receiver for reproducing sound.

   3. the audio part of a television broadcast.

2. the field of sound recording, transmission, reception, and reproduction.

audio- ² American  

1. a combining form used in the formation of compound words, with the meanings: “sound within the range of human hearing” (audiometer ); “hearing” (audiology ); “sound reproduction” (audiophile ).

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audio ¹ British  

/ ˈɔːdɪˌəʊ /

noun

1. of or relating to sound or hearing

   audio frequency

2. relating to or employed in the transmission, reception, or reproduction of sound

3. of, concerned with, or operating at audio frequencies

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audio- ² British  

combining form

1. indicating hearing or sound

   audiometer

   audiovisual

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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.

Example Sentences

To combat this, he and his brother teamed up with Pineapple Audio, an audio visual company based in Chicago, to design their crisp sound system.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

The tribunal panel ordered Swansea Audio Ltd to pay Machado £35,526 - which included £15,000 for injury to feelings and almost £13,000 for past losses - following a five-day hearing in Liverpool .

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Audio companies Kast Media, Audacy and Cumulus all filed for bankruptcy in the past few years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Audio recordings from the Solong's bridge control room were played to jurors, accompanied by a visual reconstruction of the ship's trajectory towards the Stena Immaculate.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

A Regenerative Audio Frequency Amplifier Receiving Set.—The use of amateur regenerative cascade audio frequency receiving sets is getting to be quite common.

From The Radio Amateur's Hand Book by Collins, A. Frederick (Archie Frederick)

Related Words

• TV set
• box
• station
• video