public speaking
Americannoun
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the act of delivering speeches in public.
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the art or skill of addressing an audience effectively.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of public speaking
First recorded in 1755–65
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They included common skills like public speaking and time management.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
A friend in San Francisco had suffered a spinal cord injury and Nihill wanted to run a fundraiser, but dreaded public speaking.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
If you're in a job where public speaking is part of what you do, it can be particularly terrifying.
From BBC • Nov. 16, 2025
Perhaps these qualities also prepared her to weather the slings and arrows of international NGO leadership and public speaking.
From Salon • Oct. 1, 2025
"Okay, you're shy about public speaking, but how does that apply to writing down the answers? If you can read, then you can write, right?"
From "Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
