First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1auditory
noun au·di·to·ry \ˈȯ-də-ˌtȯr-ē\
Definition of AUDITORY
1
archaic : audience
2
archaic : auditorium
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Origin of AUDITORY
Middle English auditorie, from Latin auditorium
Rhymes with AUDITORY
a priori, allegory, amatory, bedtime story, cacciatore, castratory, category, con amore, cover story, crematory, damnatory, decretory, dilatory, dormitory, excretory, expletory, feudatory, fumitory, Göteborg, gustatory, gyratory, horror story, hortatory, hunky-dory, inventory, laudatory, lavatory, mandatory, migratory, minatory, monitory, Montessori, morning glory, nugatory, offertory, oratory, overstory, piscatory, precatory, predatory, prefatory, probatory, promissory, promontory, purgatory, repertory, Ruwenzori, signatory, statutory, sudatory, territory, transitory, understory, vibratory, vomitory, yakitori
2auditory
adjective
: relating to hearing or the ears
Full Definition of AUDITORY
: of, relating to, or experienced through hearing <auditory stimuli>
— au·di·to·ri·ly adverb
See auditory defined for English-language learners
See auditory defined for kids
Origin of AUDITORY
Late Latin auditorius
First Known Use: 1578
Related to AUDITORY
- Antonyms
- nonauditory
AUDITORIES Defined for Kids
auditory
adjective au·di·to·ry \ˈȯ-də-ˌtȯr-ē\
Definition of AUDITORY for Kids
: of or relating to hearing <an auditory nerve>
Word Root of AUDITORY
The Latin word audīre, meaning “to hear” or “to listen,” gives us the root aud. Words from the Latin audīre have to do with hearing. Anything audible is loud enough to be heard. An audience is a group of people who listen to or watch a performance. Anything auditory is related to the sense of hearing.
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