¹auditory

noun au·di·to·ry \ˈȯ-də-ˌtȯr-ē\

Definition of AUDITORY

archaic : audience

archaic : auditorium

Origin of AUDITORY

Middle English auditorie, from Latin auditorium

First Known Use: 14th century

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

Synonyms: acoustic (or acoustical), audial, audile, aural, auricular

Antonyms: nonauditory

AUDITORY[1] 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.