Acoustical

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əˈkuː.stɪk.əl/

Definitions

1. Concerning the nature of sound and its behavior, especially regarding how it is generated, conveyed, and experienced within different mediums
2. Associated with the study of sound waves, particularly their propagation and how they impact environments and auditory perception
3. Relating to the principles of sound, including its transmission, reflection, and the effects it has on various environments and listening experiences

Etymology: The adjective "acoustical" is simply "acoustic" with the suffix "-al" added, and "acoustic" itself goes back to the ancient Greek verb "akouein", meaning "to hear". From it came "akoustikos", "pertaining to hearing", which passed through medieval Latin as "acousticus" and reached English as "acoustic". The root is the same one behind words like "auditory" and "audible", though those came through Latin rather than Greek. The suffix "-al" has a long history of its own. It comes from Latin "-alis", which Old French turned into "-al" or "-el", and English borrowed it in the Middle Ages. Attaching it to a noun or adjective gives the sense "relating to" or "of the nature of", so "acoustical" means "relating to acoustics", the study of sound. The two forms overlap almost completely in modern use. "Acoustical" appears more often in technical phrases such as "acoustical engineering", while "acoustic" is common in everyday contexts like "acoustic guitar".

Synonyms: audio, sonic