decibel
noun
-bəl
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The unit for measuring the relative intensities of sound is called a decibel. Because the decibel scale is logarithmic, a sound with an intensity that is twice that of a reference sound corresponds to an increase of little more than 3 decibels. In common practice, the reference point of 0 decibel is set at the intensity of the least perceptible sound, the threshold of hearing. On such a scale a 10-decibel sound is 10 times the intensity of the reference sound; a 20-decibel sound is 100 times the reference intensity, and so on. Normal conversation is usually around 60 decibels, an electric saw around 100 decibels, and amplified rock music around 120 decibels.
Examples of decibel in a Sentence
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2025
Dogs can hear sounds that are both much higher in pitch (up to 65,000 Hertz) and much quieter (as low as -15 decibels) than humans can, giving them extraordinary sensitivity to noises completely beyond our range.
—Clarissa Brincat, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2025
Music, instrumental or lyrical, should hover just around normal conversational levels (around 60 to 70 decibels, according to the Hearing Health Foundation).
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Deep sleepers will appreciate the gradual wakeup call from a large catalog of alarm sounds, and an alarm volume that reaches decibels capable of reviving a bear from its hibernation.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decibel
Cite this Entry
“Decibel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decibel. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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decibel
noun
Medical Definition
decibel
noun
-ˌbel
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