Playback

/ˈpleɪbæk/

nounBeginner📊CommonAction
2 meanings3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

The act of replaying recorded audio or video.

/ˈpleɪbæk/

nounneutralBeginner
Action

The replay of a recorded sound or video

The concert had a great playback system.

💡 Simply: It's like pressing 'rewind' and 'play' on your favorite movie or song. You're watching or listening to it again.

👶 For kids: When you watch or listen to something again after you recorded it.

More Examples

2

The coach reviewed the playback of the game to analyze the team's performance.

3

I love listening to the playback of my favorite songs.

How It's Used

Technology

"The audio playback on the new device is crystal clear."

Film

"The director reviewed the playback of the scene to check for errors."

2

To play back recorded audio or video; to replay a recording.

/ˈpleɪbæk/

verbneutralmedium
Action

To play a recorded sound or video

The sound engineer will playback the audio to ensure there are no errors.

💡 Simply: It means to 'rewind' and 'play' something you've already recorded. So, you are going to watch again or listen to it again.

👶 For kids: To watch or listen to something you already recorded, like a video of your friends.

More Examples

2

Can you playback the video to the part where she falls?

3

He played back the conversation to make sure he hadn't missed anything.

How It's Used

Entertainment

"The technician will playback the sound recording for the editor."

Broadcasting

"The broadcast team will playback the video to check for errors."

Tip:Imagine physically rewinding and playing back the tape to hear it again.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Antonyms

From "play" + "back", referring to the act of playing something again or returning to a previous state. Emerged with the advent of recording technology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Appeared in the early 20th century with the invention of recorded sound, with early examples using the hyphenated form, "play-back".

Memory tip

Think of "playing back" a recording to hear or see it again.

Word Origin

LanguageEnglish
Original meaning

"The act of playing a recording again, combining 'play' and 'back'"

audio playbackvideo playbackplayback systemplayback speedto control playbackplayback of the recording

Common misspellings

play backplay-back

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written