1
: utilizing, produced by, or relating to sound waves
sonic altimeter
broadly
: of or involving sound
sonic pollution
2
: having a frequency within the audibility range of the human ear
—used of waves and vibrations
3
: of, relating to, or being the speed of sound in air or about 761 miles per hour (1224 kilometers per hour) at sea level at 59°F (15°C)
Did you know?
A sonic boom is an explosive sound created by a shock wave formed at the nose of an aircraft. In 1947 a plane piloted by Chuck Yeager burst the "sound barrier" and created the first sonic boom. In the decades afterward sonic booms became a familiar sound to Americans. (Because of steps that were eventually taken, sonic booms are rarely heard anymore.) Today sonic is often used by ambitious rock musicians to describe their experimental sounds.
Examples of sonic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ole Obermann Global Head of Music, ByteDance/TikTok Ole Obermann is a hugely experienced businessman of music who oversees the sonic sugar-highs of over a billion app users, yet is a fan of slow music maestro Steve Reich.
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Spin Staff, SPIN, 9 Jan. 2025
Blumberg is a somewhat shy, 34-year-old singer and multi-instrumentalist from London who, for the last two decades, has recorded albums in various bands and as a solo artist, and whose only ostensible throughline is raw emotion and sonic experimentation.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
The keyboard has upgraded PBT keycaps and acoustic foams for enhanced sonic performance.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
Girl Ultra has found her own slice of heaven in the sonic playground of the recording studio.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
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Spin Staff, SPIN, 9 Jan. 2025
Blumberg is a somewhat shy, 34-year-old singer and multi-instrumentalist from London who, for the last two decades, has recorded albums in various bands and as a solo artist, and whose only ostensible throughline is raw emotion and sonic experimentation.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
The keyboard has upgraded PBT keycaps and acoustic foams for enhanced sonic performance.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
Girl Ultra has found her own slice of heaven in the sonic playground of the recording studio.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sonic
Dictionary Entries Near sonic
Cite this Entry
“Sonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonic. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sonic
adjective
son·ic
ˈsän-ik 
: using, produced by, or relating to sound waves
Medical Definition
sonic
adjective
son·ic
ˈsän-ik
1
: having a frequency within the audibility range of the human ear
—used of waves and vibrations
2
: utilizing, produced by, or relating to sound waves
a sonic device used to rupture cell walls
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