Agency Dictionary

Audiobook

nounPronunciation: /ˈɔː.di.oʊˌbʊk/

In Portuguese: Audiolivro

What does “Audiobook” mean?

An audio recording of the narration of a book, enabling listening through digital playback devices.

Etymology

A compound of audio and book. Audio comes from Latin audio, "I hear", from audire ("to hear"), and has served in English as a combining form for sound since the early 20th century. Book continues Old English boc. Recorded books existed earlier under the name talking book. The compound audiobook spread in the last decades of the 20th century, with recordings on cassette and compact disc, and became general with digital downloads.

Usage note

Now written as one word; the forms audio book and audio-book are older.

Synonyms

talking book
book on tape
recorded book

Often confused with

e-book: An e-book is the text of a book in digital form, to be read on a screen; an audiobook is a recording of the book read aloud.

Word family

audio
audible
audiovisual

Rhymes with

look
cook
took
hook

Usage examples

It is crucial to consider new technologies and new formats of reading, such as audiobooks and e-readers.

Concept

Inclusive ReadingInclusive reading is an educational, cultural, and social movement that seeks to ensure every person, regardless of socioeconomic background, sensory disability, or…

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Creative.6 - Suelen VianaJuly 10, 2023Read the edition

Words of the same theme

Antithesisnoun: A person, thing, or concept that represents the direct or exact opposite of another.
Rebirthnoun: A new beginning after a period of decline or destruction, used in mythology to describe the cyclical return to life after death. In Archetype.0, rebirth is the defining characteristic of both the Bennu and the Phoenix.
Discursiveadjective: Proceeding by reasoned argument or sequential exposition rather than by immediate visual intuition.
paperweightnoun: A small, heavy object placed on loose sheets of paper to prevent them from scattering or blowing away.
quotationnoun: A group of words taken verbatim from a published text or speech and repeated by another author.
omissionnoun: The intentional or accidental act of leaving something out or excluding details from a statement or text.
Treatisenoun: A formal, systematic, and comprehensive written work dealing methodically with the principles and evidence of a particular philosophical, scientific, or technical subject.
iconnoun: A simplified image that represents a thing by resembling it. In semiotics, a sign that signifies through likeness; in digital interfaces, a small picture that stands for an object or a function.
Maximnoun: A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
symbolismnoun: The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, and the set of meanings that a form, an image or an object carries beyond its literal sense.
verbatimadjective: In exactly the same words as the original, word for word. Said of a quotation or a transcription that changes nothing.
rhetoricnoun: The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.

Also from these editions: terms

Bilingualadjective: Possessing the ability to speak two languages fluently, or conducted using two distinct linguistic mediums.
Carouselnoun: A multi-slide social media post format that allows users to swipe through a sequential series of images or cards.
E-readernoun: A specialized electronic handheld device designed primarily for reading digital books and periodicals.
Hardcovernoun: A book bound with rigid protective boards covered in cloth, heavy paper, or leather.
Paperbacknoun: A book bound with a flexible paper or cardstock cover rather than rigid boards.
Podcastnoun: A digital audio program distributed over the internet for subscription and on-demand streaming or download.
Shelfnoun: A flat, horizontal surface used for organizing, supporting, and displaying stored books or ornamental objects.
Spoilernoun: Information about the plot, climax, or ending of a narrative that impairs suspense for first-time audiences.
Thrillernoun: A fiction genre characterized by intense suspense, psychological tension, excitement, and anticipation.
Urbanismnoun: The study, discipline, and design practice of planning, organizing, and developing cities and human settlements.
Cosmonautnoun: A space traveler trained and certified by the Russian or Soviet space agency. It is often used figuratively to denote an intrepid explorer venturing into uncharted conceptual or scientific territory.