What does aurality mean?
Aurality is an abstract noun describing the quality or state of being aural — that is, relating to sound and hearing. It names a mode of experience and communication rooted in the ear rather than the eye, encompassing everything from spoken performance and music to ambient noise. The word appears most often in academic contexts such as media studies, sound studies, and literary theory, where scholars use it to analyse how cultures transmit meaning through listening, frequently contrasting aurality with visuality or textuality. For example, one might describe radio drama as a medium defined by its aurality, since it conveys character and setting entirely through voice, music, and effect. Though uncommon in everyday conversation, aurality offers writers and thinkers a precise way to discuss the cultural weight of sound. Its connotations are neutral and analytical rather than emotional, making it well suited to scholarly argument about how listening shapes human experience alongside — and sometimes against — reading and seeing.
nounThe quality or state of being aural; the condition of relating to or existing through sound and hearing rather than sight or writing.
- The quality or condition of being aural; existence or expression through sound and hearing.
"Scholars of media studies have examined how the rise of podcasts has revived a culture of aurality in public life."
"The documentary explores the rich aurality of traditional storytelling cultures, where meaning lives in voice and rhythm rather than print."
"Critics noted the film's deliberate shift from visual spectacle to pure aurality in its closing scene."
Rarely used in the plural; when pluralised it typically refers to different kinds or regimes of sound-based experience across cultures or media.
"The conference compared the distinct auralities of medieval chant and modern hip-hop."
In a world obsessed with screens, 'aurality' names everything we experience through our ears — and scholars argue the podcast boom is bringing it roaring back.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of aurality
Aurality derives ultimately from the Latin word 'auris', meaning ear, combined with the English suffix '-ity', which forms nouns denoting a quality or state. The adjective 'aural' entered English in the nineteenth century, and the abstract noun aurality was formed from it by regular derivation. It belongs to a small family of ear-related words including 'auricular' and 'auricle', all tracing back to the same Latin root.
How aurality is actually used
Aurality is a relatively rare, scholarly term found chiefly in academic writing on media studies, literary theory, and musicology. It carries a neutral, analytical tone and is often contrasted explicitly with visuality or literacy when discussing modes of communication.
Easily confused with aurality
Orality refers to speech and spoken expression through the mouth, while aurality refers more broadly to sound and hearing through the ear.
Aural is an adjective describing anything perceived by the ear, whereas aurality is the corresponding abstract noun for that quality.