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Glite Dictionary
P.A.

P.A.

3.9
A sound system that makes speech or music louder so many people can hear
  • noun
  • /ˌpiːˈeɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sistema de megafonía
  • The school announced the fire drill over the P.A. system.

Examples

  • The concert organizers used a powerful P.A. to ensure everyone could hear the music.

  • The P.A. system failed during the concert.

  • Static noises suddenly blared from the P.A. before the speaker started talking.

  • Can you fix the P.A. before the event?

  • The school announced the fire drill over the P.A. system.

  • The concert organizers used a powerful P.A. to ensure everyone could hear the music.

  • Static noises suddenly blared from the P.A. before the speaker started talking.

Synonyms

PA
vsP.A.
22 5.1

A set of microphones and speakers used to make announcements or play music in public

is for broadcasting sound to large public areas
PA system
vsP.A.
7 2.8

A set of loud electronic speakers that plays announcements in public places

is meant to reach a broad public rather than a single room
public address system
vsP.A.
4 3.3

A system with microphones and speakers that makes announcements loud in public places

is broader covering music and other sounds beyond spoken announcements
P.A. system
vsP.A.
  • Specialized
3 3.4

A set of speakers and microphones that make sound louder so many people can hear it

is for broadcasting to large public areas rather than private use

How Loud

P.A.
  • Specialized
3.9
speaker
175 1.5
earbud
12 2.7

Surface Forms

P.A. singular
P.A.s plural

Etymology

P.A. is short for public address, where address means 'speak to' and public means 'to many people'. So a P.A. system is the electronic equipment used to make a voice or music loud so a crowd can hear.