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Synonyms

public-address system

American  
[puhb-lik-uh-dres] / ˈpʌb lɪk əˈdrɛs /

noun

  1. a combination of electronic devices that makes sound audible via loudspeakers to many people, as in an auditorium or out of doors.

public-address system British  

noun

  1. Sometimes shortened to: PA system.  a system of one or more microphones, amplifiers, and loudspeakers for increasing the sound level of speech or music, used in auditoriums, public gatherings, etc

"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 public-address system

First recorded in 1920–25

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.

Just as we returned to the press box, the next hitter was announced over the public-address system: “Shohei Ohtani!”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2025

But then a disembodied voice wafted soothingly over the public-address system.

From New York Times • Apr. 2, 2024

“These are the true Yankees fans right here,” Trevino said in an interview broadcast on the Yankee Stadium public-address system, working the crowd on a cool and rainy night.

From Washington Times • May 4, 2023

An announcement over the public-address system informed fans of the impending delay, and the grounds crew at Yankee Stadium covered the infield with the tarp just before 6:40 p.m.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 17, 2022

The public-address system blared the usual Monday- morning announcements about bake sales and soccer practice.

From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

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.