EDM

American

abbreviation

Music.

electronic dance music: a range of genres of electronic music often played in nightclubs and characterized by a strong danceable beat.

The festival lineup includes several popular EDM artists.

EDM British

abbreviation

electronic distance measurement

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of EDM

First recorded in 2000–05

Compare meaning

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

EDM vs. dubstep

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.

Forward-thinking enough to reinvent the guitar-bass-drums palette for the EDM boom; yet stark and lovelorn enough to pass for Motown in another era.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

But the Recording Academy said the change had been under discussion for years, as forward-thinking artists begin to incorporate pop, rap, hip-hop and even EDM to the Nashville sound.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

Moby also helped establish electronic dance music, or EDM, in the U.S. market.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

Founded 20 years ago by Belgian brothers Manu and Michiel Beers, Tomorrowland has become one of the world's most iconic celebrations of EDM.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2026

I am, Madam, with the utmost possible respect and veneration, Your Imperial Majesty's Most obedient and most humble servant, EDM.

From The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 06 (of 12) by Burke, Edmund

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023