Meanings
plural sound systems · alternative soundsystem
- An electronic system used to reproduce sound.
- The set of speech sounds that make up a language; a phonology.
One young Tamil teacher had assimilated the sound-system of English so thoroughly to that of his mother-tongue that none of the Chinese and Malay children understood him.
1958, Anthony Burgess, The Enemy in the Blanket (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 277 - entertainmentA mobile platform playing selected recorded music, set up as a social event, often with an entrance fee.
Rooted in Caribbean culture and introduced to the UK by the Windrush generation, sound systems – static or truck-bound collectives of MCs and DJs playing music through customised, bass-heavy speakers – have been integral to Notting Hill carnival since 1973.
2019 August 23, Dave Simpson, “The sound systems of Notting Hill carnival: 'I'll stop when I can't walk'”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna system of electronic equipment for recording or reproducing sound
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Danish lydsystem
- lydsystemelectronic system that produces sound
Esperanto sonaparato
- sonaparatoelectronic system that produces sound
German Soundsystem
- Soundsystemelectronic system that produces sound
Greek ηχοσύστημα
- ηχοσύστημα (ichosýstima)electronic system that produces sound
Hungarian hangosítás, hangtechnika
- hangosításelectronic system that produces sound
- hangtechnikaelectronic system that produces sound
- hangosító berendezéselectronic system that produces sound
- erősítéselectronic system that produces sound
- hangerősítéselectronic system that produces sound
- hangberendezéselectronic system that produces sound
- hifiberendezéselectronic system that produces sound
- hangsugárzó rendszerelectronic system that produces sound
- hangosítástechnikai rendszerelectronic system that produces sound
- hangrendszerthe set of speech sounds that make up a language; a phonology
Norwegian Bokmål lydanlegg
- lydanleggelectronic system that produces sound
Polish system dźwiękowy, sound system
- system dźwiękowyelectronic system that produces sound
- sound systemthe set of speech sounds that make up a language; a phonology
Cite this entry
sound system. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sound%20system
“sound system.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sound%20system. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sound system,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sound%20system.
Source: sound system on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.