Meanings
auditory1
auditory2
plural auditories
- archaicSynonym of audience.
A general murmur of assent arose from his little auditory.
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter IV, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 262 more examples
...and because though these learned Gentlemen (sayes he, turning to his two friends) need not fear to discourse before any Auditory...
1661, Robert Boyle, The Sceptical Chymist, page 7Preaching of Sermons is Speaking to a few of Mankind: Printing of Books is Talking to the whole World. The Parson Prescribes himself, and addresses to the particular Auditory with the Appellation of My Brethren; but he that Prints a Book, ought to Preface it with a Noverint Universi, Know all Men by these Presents. The proper Inference drawn from this remarkable Observation, is, That tho' he that Preaches from the Pulpit ought to be careful of his Words, that nothing pass from him but with an especial Sanction of Truth; yet he that Prints and Publishes to all the World, has a tenfold Obligation.
1704, Daniel Defoe, “Preface”, in The Storm: Or, a Collection of the Most Remarkable Casualties and Disasters which Happen'd in the Late Dreadful Tempest, Both by Sea and Land, J. NuttSynonyms: audience
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveOf, or relating to hearing, or to the sense or organs of hearing.
nounSynonym of audience.
nounSynonym of auditorium.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
auditory · adjective
- Latinaudītōrius“pertaining to a hearer or hearing”
- Englishauditory
Borrowed from Latin audītōrius (“pertaining to a hearer or hearing”), from audiō (“to hear”) + -tōrius (“-tory”, adjectival suffix).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →auditory · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ewis
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
- Proto-Italic*awizdiō
- Latinaudiō
- Latinaudītor
- Latinaudītōrius
- Latinaudītōrium
- Englishauditory
From Latin audītōrium (“the place where something is heard; the assembled hearers”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic سَمْعِيّ
- سَمْعِيّ (samʕiyy)Translations
Bulgarian слухов
- слухов (sluhov)Translations
Catalan auditiu
- auditiuTranslations
Chinese Mandarin 聽覺的 /听觉的, 耳朵的
- 聽覺的 /听觉的 (tīngjué de)Translations
- 耳朵的 (ěrduo de)Translations
Czech sluchový
- sluchovýTranslations
Dutch auditief
- auditiefTranslations
Esperanto aŭda
- aŭdaTranslations
Finnish kuulo-
- kuulo-Translations
French auditoire, auditif
- auditoireTranslations
- auditifTranslations
German auditorisch, auditiv
- auditorischTranslations
- auditivTranslations
Hebrew קולי class קול/קוליים
- קולי class קול/קוליים (ḳoli)Translations
Italian uditivo
- uditivoTranslations
Polish audialny, słuchowy
- audialnyTranslations
- słuchowyTranslations
- audytywnyTranslations
Portuguese auditivo, auditório
- auditivoTranslations
- auditórioTranslations
Romanian auditiv
- auditivTranslations
Russian слухово́й
- слухово́й (sluxovój)Translations
Scottish Gaelic claisneach, claistinneach
- claisneachTranslations
- claistinneachTranslations
Slovak sluchový
- sluchovýTranslations
Spanish auditivo
- auditivoTranslations
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with auditory
All rhymes →Cite this entry
auditory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/auditory
“auditory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/auditory. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “auditory,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/auditory.
Source: auditory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.