What does audible mean?
Audible describes any sound that can actually be heard, whether faintly or clearly, by the human ear. It is most often applied to speech, sighs, whispers, and other noises whose audibility is in question: one might speak of a 'barely audible murmur' or an 'audible gasp' running through an audience. The word carries no strong connotation of its own; its force lies in marking the boundary between what reaches the ear and what does not, which makes it especially useful for describing tension, emotion, or difficult listening conditions. Derived directly from the Latin verb audire, 'to hear,' it shares its root with familiar words such as audio, audience, and auditorium, all of which concern hearing in some way. In American English the term has also developed a distinctive sporting sense: in American football, an 'audible' is a spoken command by which the quarterback changes the planned play at the last moment before the snap. Beyond that specialized usage, audible remains a precise, neutral, and widely understood adjective.
Able to be heard; loud enough to be perceived by the ear.
"His footsteps were audible on the wooden stairs."
Commonly modified by adverbs of degree such as 'barely,' 'faintly,' or 'clearly.'
In American football, a called change of play communicated verbally at the line of scrimmage, typically by the quarterback.
"The quarterback shouted an audible and the whole offense adjusted."
Informal, chiefly North American sporting usage.
Applies only to the American football noun sense; the adjective has no plural form.
"Experienced quarterbacks are known for calling audibles under pressure."
In American football, an 'audible' is a shouted last-second change of play — borrowed straight from this word meaning 'something that can be heard.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of audible
Audible derives from the Latin audibilis, formed from audire, 'to hear,' with the adjectival suffix -bilis indicating capability. It entered English in the early 16th century, carried into the language through Latin scholarly vocabulary common in that era. Its relatives include audio, audience, auditorium, and audit, all descendants of the same Latin root. In modern American football, the word was extended as a noun for a quarterback's shouted change of play, playing on its core sense of 'something heard.'
Related word forms
How audible is actually used
Primarily used as an adjective describing sound that can be heard, often with degree modifiers such as 'barely,' 'faintly,' or 'clearly.' The American football noun sense is informal and regionally specific to the United States.
Easily confused with audible
'Edible' means safe or suitable to eat, while 'audible' means able to be heard.