AUDIO Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com (original) (raw)

adjective

Electronics. designating an electronic apparatus using audio frequencies.

audio amplifier.
of, relating to, or employed in the transmission, reception, or reproduction of sound.
of or relating to frequencies or signals in the audible range.

noun

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

/ ˈɔːdɪˌəʊ /

noun

of or relating to sound or hearing

audio frequency
relating to or employed in the transmission, reception, or reproduction of sound
of, concerned with, or operating at audio frequencies

"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

combining form

indicating hearing or sound

audiometer

audiovisual

"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 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.

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Vocabulary lists containing audio

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.

He also operates a museum in Ramsgate, Kent, dedicated to resuscitated audio technology.

FromBBC • May 14, 2026

Ramos said the audio was about smearing his work, adding "no Mexican authority took responsibility for that audio."

FromBarron's • May 14, 2026

China’s market watchdog on Tuesday approved its acquisition of the online audio platform on condition that it fulfills a series of restrictive commitments to ensure fair market competition.

FromThe Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

In a statement, Allen said he planned to expand BuzzFeed further into free streaming video, as well as audio and user-generated content.

FromMarketWatch • May 11, 2026

To give you some idea of the difference that articulation makes, though, here are audio examples of a violin playing a legato54 and a staccato55 passage.

From"Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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