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

---

Etymology

Origin of public-address system

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

“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

They kept fighting even as the public-address system blared the sound of a chainsaw with every third down, even as fans constantly chanted and gestured, even as this crazy half-stadium felt like three stadiums.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2022

When the teams took the court, the public-address system crackled with the names of some of the most well-known players in women’s basketball.

From New York Times • May 2, 2022

At Radio City, company members said that at least some of people on site received word of the first set of cancellations over a public-address system shortly before the scheduled 11 a.m. performance.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 17, 2021

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

Related Words

• bullhorn
• megaphone