stereophonic

American  

[ster-ee-uh-fon-ik, steer-] / ˌstɛr i əˈfɒn ɪk, ˌstɪər- /

adjective

1. pertaining to a system of sound recording or reproduction using two or more separate channels to produce a more realistic effect by capturing the spatial dimensions of a performance (the location of performers as well as their acoustic surroundings), used especially with high-fidelity recordings and reproduction systems (monophonic ).

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stereophonic British  

/ ˌstɛrɪəˈfɒnɪk, ˌstɪər-, ˌstɪər-, ˌstɛrɪˈɒfənɪ /

adjective

1. Often shortened to: stereo.  (of a system for recording, reproducing, or broadcasting sound) using two or more separate microphones to feed two or more loudspeakers through separate channels in order to give a spatial effect to the sound Compare monophonic quadraphonics

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Other Word Forms

• stereophonically adverb
• stereophony noun

Etymology

Origin of stereophonic

First recorded in 1935–40; stereo- + phon(o)- + -ic

Example Sentences

His father was an inventor who made major advances in television and stereophonic sound.

From Washington Post • Mar. 28, 2022

While superfans will have long held such morsels in their collections, much like the Esher tapes' reincarnation in Martin and Okell's White Album mixes, there's nothing like enjoying them in top-notch stereophonic sound.

From Salon • Oct. 15, 2021

Matching every contour of breath and sound in a stereophonic séance linking African American generations, they channel history through the recording.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2019

Created by industrial designer Arnold Wolf and stereophonic audio pioneer Richard Ranger, the Paragon offered audiophiles a horn-shaped stereo speaker system housed within a midcentury modern wood cabinet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 18, 2018

From the bowels of a huge stereophonic phonograph the voice of Judy Garland was fighting its way through the din.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole